BRUSSELS (AFX) - Euro zone retail sales rose 0.5 pct in April from March, giving a year-on-year rise of 1.5 pct, the EU's Eurostat statistical service said. In the EU, retail sales rose 0.6 pct on a monthly basis and by 2.4 from a year earlier, Eurostat said. In the euro zone, food, drinks and tobacco sales rose 0.6 pct from March, textiles, clothing and footwear were up 0.4 and household goods up 1.3, it said. On an annual basis, the food, drinks, tobacco rise was 1.7 pct, textiles, clothing and footwear 1.2, and household goods 0.1, it said. Among countries on a monthly basis, the sharpest rises were Portugal, up 4.6 pct, followed by UK, up 0.6, and Spain and Finland, both up 0.5, it said. There were falls in Belgium of 2.3 pct, Ireland, down 0.9, and Germany, down 0.3, it said. Sharpest annual rises were Ireland 7.0 pct, UK 6.6, Portugal 5.8, Finland 4.0, Spain 3.9, and France 3.8, it said. The only falls were Belgium, down 0.5 pct, and Germany, down 0.8, it said.