ROME (MktNews) - This eurozone will post GDP growth of between 2.5% and 2.7% this year, Mario Draghi, the head of the EU's economic and monetary committee, was reported as saying in Wednesday's edition of the Italian financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore.
"In 2001 growth (in the eurozone) will be between 2.5% and 2.7%, compared with previous forecasts of 3.2%," Draghi reportedly said.
The newspaper did not report the place or context of his remarks, but Draghi appeared yesterday at an economic conference at the Bocconi university in Milan.
Draghi has a key role at the head of the EU committee which prepares the agenda for Ecofin meetings.
Meanwhile, for Italy, some of the latest forecasts of the economic think-tank CER, which have not yet been officially published, are also reported in Il Sole Wednesday.
CER, one of three private sector institutes used by the government to draw up its own economic targets and forecasts, reportedly sees Italian 2001 GDP growth of 2.7% (government forecast 2.9%); the 2001 public deficit-to-GDP ratio at 1.3% (government forecast 0.8%); and sees 2001 average inflation at 2.5% (government forecast 1.7%).
The government has indicated that in a few days it is to revise down its growth forecast for this year, and raise its objectives for the public deficit and inflation.