EU current account surplus €47.9bn

The EU external current account recorded a surplus of 47.9 billion Euros in the fourth quarter of 2013, compared with a surplus of 31.8 billion in the third quarter of 2013, according to figures released Friday by Eurostat, the EU statistical office. In the fourth quarter of 2013, compared with the third quarter of 2013, the surpluses of the goods account (11.4 billion Euro compared with 0.9 billion), income account (11.6 billion compared with 8.7 billion) and services account (42.1 billion compared with 40.8 billion), all increased. The deficit of the current transfers account fell (17.2 billion compared with 18.6 billion), it noted.