SALES of new cars across Europe for the year to date have fallen slightly, although new EU member states performed well, latest figures show.

Registrations during the first quarter of the year totalled 4,220,019 units, down by 0.2% on the same period the previous year.

Figures produced by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) show sales in EU new member states were up 13.8% to 265,249 units.

Country		Jan-Mar 07		Jan-Mar 06		Variance
Austria		75,859		77,999		-2.7%
Belgium		163,858		177,645		-7.8%
Denmark		34,205		36,403		-6.0%
Finland		40,202		43,809		-8.2%
France		519,191		526,502		-1.4%
Germany		717,536		797,143		-10.0%
Greece		79,325		76,059		+4.3%
Ireland		100,773		94,322		+6.8%
Italy		733,223		704,105		+4.1%
Luxembourg		14,423		14,222		+14%
Netherlands		160,295		159,913		+0.2%
Portugal		49,514		51,963		-4.7%
Spain		410,534		413,626		-0.7%
Sweden		68,402		61,256		+11.7%
UK		688,476		669,206		+2.9%
European Union (EU15)		3,855,816		3,904,173		-1.2%
Iceland		3,103		5,334		-41.8%
Norway		33,742		24,622		+37.0%
Switzerland		62,109		62,997		-14%
EFTA		98,954		92,953		+6.5%
EU15+EFTA		3,954,770		3,997,126		-1.1%
Bulgaria		11,186		8,723		+28.2%
Czech Republic		30,105		27,568		+9.2%
Estonia		7,651		5,137		+489%
Hungary		42,076		44,940		-6.4%
Latvia		7,939		4,569		+73.8%
Lithuania		3,844		2,990		+28.6%
Poland		72,763		58,462		+24.5%
Romania		59,910		51,170		+17.1%
Slovakia		13,189		12,852		+2.6%
Slovenia		16,586		16,611		-0.2%
EU (new members)		265,249		233,022		+13.8%
European Union*		4,121,065		4,137,195		-0.4%
Total Europe**		4,220,019		4,230,148		-0.2%

* Data for Malta and Cyprus not available
** ACEA estimates