European Union Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquin Almunia speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, Monday Sept. 14, 2009. The European Union said Monday that the recession in the euro-zone and EU will likely have ended in the third quarter with the resumption of modest economic growth. In an update to its May forecast, the EU cast doubt on the strength of the upswing, saying it won't change its prediction for the euro-zone and EU economies to shrink by 4 percent this year.