Eurozone 2015 growth outlook gets boost from cheaper oil, weaker euro

BRUSSELS—The European Union’s official economists said the sharp drop in global oil prices and a weaker euro should boost growth in the eurozone this year, raising their forecasts for the currency area’s largest economies.

The developments are a lucky jolt for a region facing the prospect of long-term economic stagnation, as Europe is still trying to heal the wounds of the sovereign debt crisis. But the forecasts, published on Thursday, don’t account for the threat that the crisis could return in full force now that the eurozone is again headed for a showdown with Greece, which is asking the bloc’s other members to rewrite the bailout plan they signed with Athens.