Brussels - Europe's economy remained stuck in recession, with second quarter figures out Thursday showing gross domestic product (GDP) contracting by 0.3 per cent in the European Union and by 0.1 per cent in the eurozone versus the first quarter.

The flash estimates by the European statistical office Eurostat dashed hopes of an earlier-than-expected recovery after two of the EU's biggest economies - Germany and France - posted positive GDP figures.

Compared with the same quarter of 2008, GDP fell by 4.8 per cent in the 27-member EU and by 4.6 per cent in the 16-member eurozone.

European GDP has been falling steadily since the first half of 2008, plummeting the economy into its worst downturn in decades. (dpa)