Energy stocks were also on the ropes, shedding 1.2 percent as heavyweights BP and Shell each dropped about one percent. The sector got little help from newly listed Norwegian state oil company Statoil, which was trading at 69.50 crowns, only a shade above its 69 crowns initial public offering price on its first trading day. The Paris air show threw the spotlight on aerospace shares.

Europe's Airbus Sunday confirmed that weakness stemming from the global economic slowdown, which has hit airline profits, was being felt by the company.

Speaking at the Paris air show, Airbus commercial director John Leahy said the main effects of the slowdown were being felt in the company's options log rather than its firm order book. Shares in Airbus parent EADS fell 1.1 percent in Paris.

France's Dassault Aviation rose six percent to new highs for the year after the firm said U.S. airline company UAL Corp planned to order 40 of its own Falcon business jets and take out options on an additional 60, making the order worth $2.5 billion if the options are exercised. Sulzer lost four percent after its subsidiary Sulzer Medica warned it could face large costs tied to recalls of its hip replacements. Medica shares fell 6.5 percent.