The events of 11 September, in addition to the obvious political implications, generated a worldwide sense of insecurity, reflected in a worsening of the business climate as a result of the ‘wait and see’ attitude of firms and private consumers. The expected average growth rate for this year in the EU has had to be corrected downwards to 1.6%, though this covers significant differences between the Member States.
Dès lors, il a fallu revoir à la baisse les taux de croissance moyens de l'année en cours dans l'Union européenne et les fixer désormais à 1,6%, des différences considérables existant toutefois entre les États membres.