Euro zone GDP rose by 0.4% in the third quarter, and was up 0.3% on the year according to EU statistics office Eurostat. This was the first time the euro zone economy expanded in a year.
In the second quarter, euro zone GDP was down 0.1% from the first quarter, but rose 0.2% year-on-year.
The European Commission said it forecast euro zone growth of between 0.3% and 0.7% in the first quarter of 2004 and maintained its forecast for fourth-quarter euro zone growth to a range of between 0.2% and 0.6%.
It said its forecast for the first quarter is in line with the pace of growth projected in its autumn forecasts.
