The euro will appreciate at a record pace this year and continue to gain in value in 2014, the European Commission predicted, a spiral that could hamper the currency bloc's export-driven recovery. A stronger euro, which despite a recent slide is still up nearly six percent against the U.S. dollar in the last four months, makes the euro zone's exports more expensive and could dampen the bloc's recovery from its long recession. On Tuesday, the Commission cautioned that it saw the 18-nation single currency making further gains. It forecast a rise of 5.8 percent against a dollar-denominated group of countries this year ... (full story)