Eurostat: Inflation and Industrial Production Data
Overview:
Eurostat has released inflation data for June and industrial production readings for May. These show that inflation continues to slow across the region and that deflation is being recorded in some places. There are some signs of a modest improvement in industrial production numbers. A first m-o-m increase for many months was recorded in May at the Eurozone and EU level. Data for Eastern Europe is more mixed and it is likely to follow any pick-up in Western Europe with a lag. Poland continues to be the strongest performer within CEE. Romania and Croatia are faring less badly than Bulgaria and Slovenia. It seems evident that those countries that are more open to trade are suffering the most. More closed economies are doing relatively better even though they do not necessarily run superior economic policies.