We understand from the passage that in Europe the economy is being adversely affected ----.

Which European country has the worst record for
shoplifting? The answer is Britain and she holds
the record now for the second year running,
according to a survey released on September
19th. Britons not only steal more than their
continental counterparts, they are also less
competent employees on the shop floor, resulting
in Britain having the worst overall rate of retail
"shrinkage" –a measure of losses by retailers from
theft, mispricing and other wastage. Continental
Europeans are actually not much better. Shrinkage
is increasing alarmingly in some countries and is
generally on the rise. Denmark is a notable
example. According to one survey, shrinkage there
is 9 % up on last year. Shrinkage costs the
European economy a surprisingly large amount, in
fact, the total annual cost has been estimated at
around 830 billion which is equivalent to a
shocking 880 per person in the region. That is
more than the costs of the much-higher—profile
car crime or domestic burglary.