EU GDP up by 0.2 percent

GDP increased by 0.2 percent in both the euro area and the EU27 during the third quarter of 2011, compared with the previous quarter, according to estimates published Tuesday by Eurostat, the EU statistical office.In the second quarter of 2011, growth rates were +0.2 percent in both zones.The EU has 27 members but only 17 of them use the common currency euro and hence called the euro zone or euro area.During the third quarter of 2011, GDP in the United States increased by 0.6 percent compared with the previous quarter. In Japan GDP grew by 1.5 percent in the third quarter of 2011, noted Eurostat.