EU summit to focus on growth, jobs

Jose-Manuel-BarroBrussels, March 14 : European Union (EU) leaders are scheduled to meet in Brussels Thursday and Friday to iron out measures to promote growth and create jobs in Europe which is still mired in the debt crisis.

Despite "consistent and courageous" efforts taken at European and national levels, "we have yet to tackle the most immediate fears and concerns of many of our citizens", European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Wednesday, referring to weak growth and high jobless rate.

Speaking at the European Parliament, Barroso said "there is justified disappointment about the slow recovery of the real economy" and "unemployment figures are unprecedented and simply unacceptable", reported Xinhua.

The eurozone economy registered the sharpest decline over four years in the last quarter last year, while the single currency area recorded a jobless rate of 11.9 percent this January, the highest level since the EU statistics office started to release such figures in 1995. (IANS)