Euro zone industrial output declined in February, mainly due a sharp drop of energy production, dampening prospects for robust economic growth after bullish sentiment indicators.
Analysts had been expected a slight increase in output for the month.
The European Union's statistics office Eurostat said that industrial production in the euro zone fell by 0.3% from January, but rose by 1.2% year-on-year.
Both figures were lower than market expectations of increases of 0.1% in the month and of 2% from a year earlier.
January's output numbers were also cut to 0.3% month-on-month from an initially reported 0.9% and to 0.2% year-on-year from the 0.6% published a month ago.
The tepid production numbers contrast with bullish sentiment indicators.
According to the Markit purchasing manager index, regarded as a good guide to growth, euro zone businesses enjoyed their best quarter in six years at the start of 2017.
And investor sentiment in the euro zone improved more than expected in April to remain at the highest level in almost 10 years, data from the Frankfurt-based Sentix research group said earlier this week.
The February output decrease was largely due to a 4.7% decline in energy production, perhaps reflecting mild weather.
This was along a 1.1% fall in output of non-durable consumer goods, a wide category including fresh vegetables and clothing.
Output of intermediate goods went up by 1% and of capital goods, such as machinery, by 0.9%. Durable consumer goods production was flat.
At national level, industrial production in Germany, the bloc's largest economy, grew by 0.8%, and in Italy by 1%.
However, it fell in France and Spain, by 1.6% and 0.3% respectively.
