By Tuba Ongun
Eurozone industrial production surprisingly fell in June compared to the prior month, according to data released on Wednesday.
Industrial output in the euro area dropped 0.1% on a monthly basis in June, easing from a 0.9% decline in May, Eurostat data showed.
The figure bucked market expectations of a 0.4% rise for the month.
In the EU, on the other hand, industrial production remained stable in June.
Among bloc members for which data are available, the largest monthly drops were seen in Ireland (7.8%), Belgium (6.5%), Croatia, and Portugal (both 3.7%) while the highest rises were seen in Romania (4.0%), Finland (3.6%), and Slovakia (2.1%).
On an annual basis, industrial production fell 3.9% in the euro area and 3.2% in the EU.
The eurozone/euro area, or EA19, represents member states that use the bloc's single currency, the euro, while the EU27 includes all of its member countries.