SALES of light commercial vehicles across Europe started the year on a positive note. Latest figures for the month of January show unit sales of 180,586, up 9.5% on the same period last year. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), which produced the figures, said part of the reason for the increase was that some markets had an extra working day this year.

Country		Jan 07		Jan 06		Variance
Austria		2,626		2,031		29.3%
Belgium		6,770		6,633		2.1%
Denmark		5,217		4,791		8.9%
Finland		1,958		1,731		13.1%
France		39,504		37,198		6.2%
Germany		16,997		14,995		13.4%
Greece		2,338		2,500		-6.5%
Ireland		10,121		8,286		22.1%
Italy*		16,882		15,742		7.2%
Luxembourg		253		270		-6.3%
Netherlands		9,835		8,583		14.6%
Portugal		5,292		5,349		-1.1%
Spain		21,074		18,142		16.2%
Sweden		2,989		2,467		21.2%
UK		21,698		21,441		1.2%
European Union		163,554		150,159		8.9%
Iceland		181		189		-4.2%
Norway		3,056		3,156		-3.2%
Switzerland		1,999		1,794		11.4%
EFTA		5,236		5,139		1.9%
Western Europe		168,790		155,298		8.7%
Czech Republic		4,369		3,371		29.6%
Estonia		400		275		45.5%
Hungary		1,602		1,422		12.7%
Latvia		303		147		106.1%
Lithuania		315		282		11.7%
Poland		2,964		2,348		26.2%
Slovakia		1,272		1,122		13.4%
Slovenia		571		621		-8.1%
EU (new members)		11,796		9,588		23.0%
European Union**		175,350		159,747		9.8%
Total Europe (EU+EFTA)		180,586		164,886		9.5%