The pan-European STOXX 600 shed 0.5% by 0710 GMT, falling for a second straight session after the index marked its longest winning streak in over a decade
The STOXX 600 has also lagged a recovery in its U.S. counterpart due to a slow vaccination rollout and a new wave of coronavirus infections on the continent.
Most markets in the region were subdued due to thin volumes in a holiday-shortened week. The German DAX was flat, while French and Spanish stocks slipped 0.1% each.