Forecast sees economic recovery in EU

 The European Commission's winter forecast published here Tuesday foresees a continuation of the economic recovery in most EU Member States and in the EU as a whole.Following real GDP growth of 1.5% in the EU and 1.2% in the euro area in 2014, activity is seen accelerating in 2015 to 2.0% in the EU and 1.8% in the euro area."Recovery is gaining ground in Europe, following the return to growth in the middle of last year. The strengthening of domestic demand this year should help us to achieve more balanced and sustainable growth, commented EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, Olli Rehn, in a statement."The worst of the crisis may now be behind us, but this is not an invitation to be complacent, as the recovery is still modest," he added.The winter outlook sees a a modest rise in employment from this year onwards and a decline in the unemployment rate towards 10.4% in the EU and 11.7% in the euro area by 2015.Inflation is expected to prevail in the EU and the euro area in 2014 at rates of 1.2% and 1.0% respectively, before rising slightly in 2015 when economic growth gains momentum.The reduction in general government deficits is set to continue.In 2014, fiscal deficits are projected to fall to 2.7% of GDP in the EU and 2.6% in the euro area, while debt-to-GDP ratios reach almost 90% in the EU and 96% in the euro area.