PARIS (AFX) - Bank of France governor Christian Noyer forecast that growth in France and the eurozone this year will "probably" be closer to 2.5 pct than 2 pct.
Noyer said he feels growth in France has a sound base, and sees no reason for a significant slowdown, although he does not expect France to maintain the quarterly growth rate of 1.1 pct seen in the second quarter.
The French government continues to expect GDP to grow towards the upper end of the 2-2.5 pct range, according to finance minister Thierry Breton.
Meanwhile, Noyer also declared that there are signs of a slowdown in the French property market.
Prices for homes excluding new builds in France rose 8.8 pct year on year in July, confirming the slowdown seen since the beginning of 2005, according to the monthly Fnaim survey published last week.
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