Factories in the 16 nations using the euro single currency saw demand fall May compared with April, contrary to expectations, according to official EU data released on July 22.
New industrial orders fell by 0.2% in May, the European Union's Eurostat data agency said, bringing the drop over 12 months to 30.1%.
In the full 27-nation European Union, new industrial orders rose by 0.9% in May compared to April, leaving a decrease of 28% over the year from May 2008.
