After finishing 2006 with the fastest growth in six years, the combined economy of the countries sharing the euro slowed in the first quarter to 3.0 percent over 12 months, the EU's Eurostat data agency said.

The rate, which was revised down from a first estimate of 3.1 percent, marked a slight slowdown from the final three months of 2006 when the eight-trillion-euro (11-trillion-dollar) economy grew by 3.3 percent.

On a quarterly basis, growth in the eurozone economy eased to 0.6 percent in the first quarter after hitting 0.9 percent in the final quarter of 2006, Eurostat said.

The data, adjusted for seasonal variations, were roughly in line with private economists' forecasts that the eurozone economy grew 0.6 percent in the first three months and 3.1 percent over one year.

Meanwhile, growth also cooled in the 27-nation EU in the first quarter, easing to 0.6 percent over one quarter and 3.2 percent over one year.

Growth was widely expected to slow slightly at the beginning of the year as consumers in Germany, the biggest economy in Europe, were hit with a full three percentage point increase in value added or sales tax.

"Eurozone growth was resilient in the first quarter, particularly given the sales tax hike in Germany, benefiting from impressively strong investment," said economist Howard Archer at consultancy Global Insight.