The EU27 external current account recorded a deficit of 23.4 billion euro in the first quarter of 2010, compared with a deficit of 50.6 bn in the first quarter of 2009 and a deficit of 9.2 bn in the fourth quarter of 2009.

In the first quarter of 2010, the EU27 external balance of trade in services recorded a surplus of 13.2 bn euro, compared with a surplus of 13.3 bn in the first quarter of 2009 and a surplus of 19.1 bn in the fourth quarter of 2009.

These provisional data, issued by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, will be subject to revision.