Eurozone economies will “barely creep forward” in the second half of this year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warned, with the outlook for growth in France slashed nearly in half.

Updated projections by the Paris-based organisation suggested the 15-country eurozone would avoid a technical recession – two quarters of contraction – this year but would grow by just 1.3 per cent overall. Previously it had expected 1.7 per cent growth.