Group revenue totalled €700m (£618m) in the first half of this year, down 7.4% at current exchange rates on the same period in 2008. Pre-tax profit stood at €71m (£63m) in the first half, down 13.1% year on year.
By region, the UK was one of the worst-performing Havas regions in terms of revenue change year on year in Q2. The UK's 15% revenue fall was bettered by France (up 0.3%), continental Europe (down 14.6%) and North America (down 11.8%).
Havas, owner of media agencies such as MPG and Arena BLM, warned that while France is performing well, "the rest of Europe is still suffering markedly slower growth, particularly in Southern Europe and the UK."
Over the first half of 2009, its digital businesses posted organic revenue growth of 5% and now accounted for 16.4% of the group's total revenue in the period.
The group, led by chairman Vincent Bolloré, also landed net new business worth €813m (£718m) in the first half of 2009, surpassing its 2008 half-year average - and not counting recent account wins such as Heineken in the US, AXA in the UK and Coty in France.
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