The pan-European STOXX 600 index was roughly unchanged at 0715 GMT after starting marginally lower, with the exporter-heavy FTSE 100 lagging the broader market as London-listed miners fell.

Thyssenkrupp AG was the biggest gainer on Germany's DAX index with a 1.3% gain after Finland's Kone  said it and a private equity partner would bid for the conglomerate's elevator business.

The DAX rose 0.3%, shrugging off data showing an unexpected fall in industrial output in July.