ECB in policy limbo, boxed in by its own plans

(Reuters) - The European Central Bank is in a policy no man's land, bombarded by news of a stagnating euro zone economy but hesitant to move forward with new stimulus until measures it loaded in June have ignited.

Angela Merkel scolds Italy and France over the faltering eurozone recovery

Angela Merkel has delivered a sharp rebuke to Italy and France for hindering the eurozone's recovery by breaking longstanding fiscal rules.

Euro-Area Pickup Stalls as Big Economies Fail to Grow

The euro area’s recovery unexpectedly stalled in the second quarter as its three biggest economies failed to grow, underlining the vulnerability of the region to weak inflation and the deepening crisis in Ukraine.

German slump, stagnant France paint dismal euro zone picture

(Reuters) - Germany's economy shrank in the second quarter and France again failed to conjure up any growth, snuffing out any signs of a recovery in the euro zone which is now also weighed down by tit-for-tat sanctions with Russia.

French lawmaker says 'unavoidable' to scrap deficit target : Les Echos

(Reuters) - The head of France's ruling Socialist party told Les Echos newspaper on Wednesday that it was "unavoidable" that France would abandon an EU target to cut its public deficit to 3 percent of GDP next year.