Italian economy gains pace in second quarter

Italy's economic growth accelerated to 0.3 percent during the second quarter, according to a preliminary official estimate on Friday, following 0.1 percent in the first three months of the year.The growth figure was in line with the expectations of economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires. The result however was lower than the 0.9 percent rate registered in France or 1.5 percent in Germany, Europe's biggest economy. On a 12-month comparison, Italy's economy grew 0.8 percent in the second quarter. Growth was the result of "a decrease in the added value of agriculture and an increase in the added value of industry and services," the official data agency Istat said in a statement, without adding details. The government is forecasting growth of 1.1 percent for 2011 as a whole. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Thursday promised to come up with a comprehensive plan by September to boost Italy's growth in order to get the country through a mounting debt crisis.