AFP - European economic growth could prove to be stronger than expected thanks to an "intense recovery" underway, EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told AFP in an interview.

FT.com - Europe, if you are a stock investor, is now bigger than the US. The landmark, passed last week, has been achieved despite the retirement of a net EU107.1bn (£72.4bn) in European equity over the past two years, according to Citigroup (NYSE:C). Its import goes far beyond the noise over the impact of Sarbanes-Oxley corporate governance rules.

AFP - In late morning trade Tuesday London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares climbed 0.42 percent to 6,342.10 points and Frankfurt's DAX 30 won 0.88 percent to 6,998.56.

AFP - London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares sagged 0.14 percent to 6,357.50 points in late morning trade Wednesday.

BusinessWeek Online - German confidence data indicate that the economy has largely shrugged off the impact of a 3% hike in value-added tax imposed at the start of this year. Data confirm that the expected slowdown in German gross-domestic-product growth at the beginning of 2007 will be temporary, with the economy set for robust growth of up to 2% this year. Germany has taken over from France as the engine of euro zone growth and continues to benefit from brisk export demand and surprisingly resilient domestic growth. These developments support the European Central Bank's current hawkish stance.

Reuters - Palestinian Finance Minister Salam Fayyad told the European Union on Wednesday a new national unity government needed more than $1.3 billion in international aid this year to avert a "devastating" humanitarian crisis.

AFP - The combined eurozone economy grew 2.7 percent last year, the EU's Eurostat data agency said Thursday, revising upwards a previous estimate of 2.6 percent.

AFP - London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares added 0.22 percent to 6,430.50 points in late morning trade on Friday, with the energy sector lifted by higher crude oil prices.

AFP - London's FTSE 100 shares index is at the highest level for almost six and a half years as investors spied a potential bidding war for Dutch bank ABN Amro.

AFP - The 13 countries sharing the euro improved their trade balance with the rest of the world in February despite the currency's growing strength, official EU data showed on Tuesday.

AFP - London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares dropped 0.40 percent to 6,472.00 points, as mining company Vedanta Resources saw its share price slide 1.60 percent to 1,414 pence.

Reuters - European Union officials are quietly hoping conservative Nicolas Sarkozy will win France's presidential election and move swiftly to reform EU institutions and modernize his country's shackled economy.

AFP - Europe's main stock markets rose in opening deals on Friday following two days of losses.

AFP - The European Union and the United States have reportedly approved a plan to bolster the transatlantic economic partnership, to be signed at the next EU-US summit.

FT.com - Jean-Claude Trichet, European Central Bank president, has succeeded in killing a proposal for European Union member states to agree detailed plans for a public bail-out of a failing bank, designed to stop financial chaos spreading across the continent.

AFP - European countries made strides last year in cleaning up their public finances, with deficit levels down sharply from the previous year, according to official EU figures published Monday.

AFP - London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares was showing a drop of 0.67 percent at 6,436.10 points in early Tuesday afternoon trade.

AFP - Britain's economy grew 0.7 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the final three months of 2006, bolstered by a strong showing in the services sector, according to official data published on Wednesday.

AFP - London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares fell 0.46 percent to 6,439.90 points in late morning deals.

AFP - US President George W. Bush and visiting European Union leaders were expected Monday to bolster economic ties, as well as show unity on Iran and try to paper over differences on global warming.