London's benchmark FTSE 100 index, which was open on Wednesday, shed 0.5 percent to 7,346.84 points awaiting the Bank of England's latest interest rate decision and economic forecasts.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 steadied at 12,349.10 points and the Paris CAC lost 0.3 percent to 5,568.20 compared with their closing levels on Tuesday.