London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares tumbled 2.62 percent to 5,150.06 points, Frankfurt's DAX 30 recoiled 3.22 percent to 5,258.42 points and in Paris the CAC 40 shed 2.66 percent to 2,857.86.

Elsewhere, Madrid's IBEX 35 tumbled 2.43 percent to 8,011.1 points and Milan's FTSE Mib index slid 3.02 percent to 13,692.