PAN PYLAS
AP Business Writer
LONDON – Economic sentiment in the 16 countries that use the euro worsened in February for the first time in nearly a year, the European Commission said Thursday, in a further sign that the recovery from recession has lost momentum.
With sentiment fragile and debt worries mounting across the single currency area, particularly in Greece, the Commission said it was sticking to its November forecast that the eurozone economy would grow by a very modest 0.7 percent this year.
“Putting the European economy back on a strong and sustainable path should be our overarching objective,” said the EU’s new Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn.