European countries with fiscal space, such as Germany, should use it quickly to help underpin growth in the region, French central bank Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau said on Thursday.

Countries with high public debt should make their public finances more growth-friendly, Villeroy, who also sits on the European Central Bank's rate-setting Governing Council, told.

"We are witnessing a significant slowdown in global trade due to the escalation in trade disputes," he said. "The effects of the slowdown are very acute in the euro area's biggest economy, Germany, which is very much exposed to global trade."