Eurozone Industrial Production Up 0.4 Percent In July

BRUSSELS (AFP) - Industrial production in the 12-nation eurozone rose 0.4 percent in July from June and was up 2.4 percent compared with July 2003, the European statistics office Eurostat reported.

Output fell 0.2 percent in June after increases of 0.6 percent in May and 0.3 percent in April.

In the full-25 member European Union industrial output gained 0.2 percent in July from June and 2.3 percent on the year.

The strongest gains were recorded in Ireland, 13.5 percent, Estonia, 3.4 percent, Finland, three percent, and Germany, 1.7 percent.

Declines in industrial output were recorded in Lithuania, two percent, the Netherlands, 1.9 percent, Slovakia, 1.8 percent, and Portugal, 1.4 percent.