EU's Rehn - expected euro zone slowdown seen as mild, temporary

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's top economics official said on Thursday that recent economic surveys showed that an expected slowdown in the euro zone would be mild.

"Overall, recent developments in survey data suggest that the expected slowdown will be rather mild and temporary, but the turnaround of the trend still needs to be confirmed in the coming months and it essentially depends on the policy decisions to be taken," EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn told a news briefing.

Rehn was speaking after the European Commission released its 2012 forecasts for the 17-member euro zone and the wider European Union. The Commission forecast the euro zone economy was heading into its second recession in just three years, while the wider EU would stagnate.

(Reporting by Rex Merrifield. Editing by Sebastian Mofett)