Protesters said government spending cuts across the EU were hitting jobs

The issues of jobs and growth have dominated EU talks in Brussels, amid mass protests in the Belgian capital. 

France, Italy and some other countries pushed for growth-friendly spending to tackle the problems, while Germany advocated strict austerity measures. 

E-BIZ 24/7 gathered that thousands of protesters rallied outside the summit venue, saying government spending cuts were hitting jobs. 

The eurozone as a whole has been in recession for more than a year and unemployment is now just under 12%.

Some 26 million people across the 27-member EU - including about seven million young people - are currently out of work.