Europe's economic recovery, which began in the second quarter of 2013, is expected to continue spreading across countries and gaining strength while at the same time becoming more balanced across growth drivers. As it is typical following deep financial crises, however, the recovery remains fragile. Nevertheless, recent positive economic news means that the forecasts for GDP growth this year and next have been raised slightly since the autumn. EU GDP, which rose 0.1% in 2013, is now expected to rise 1.5% this year and 2.0% next year, while growth in the euro area, which was -0.4% for 2013 as a whole, is expected to ... (full story)