The European Commission said the region's economy probably entered a recession this year and will stagnate in 2009, increasing pressure on political leaders to collaborate on measures to tackle the financial crisis.

Economic growth in the euro area will slump to 0.1 percent next year, the worst performance since 1993, the Brussels-based commission said yesterday. It also estimated that gross domestic product will shrink for three consecutive quarters this year and cut its forecast for full-year 2008 growth to 1.2 percent from 1.3 percent previously.

Euro-area finance ministers meet today to try to overcome the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.