POLL-Slovak Q3 GDP growth seen slowing to 8.6 pct

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* When: 0800 GMT, Nov. 13

* GDP growth seen slowing down

By Martin Santa

Slovak economic growth probably decelerated in the third quarter due to lower car production, a Reuters poll showed on Tuesday, but the country was expected to remain one of EU's fastest rising economies.

The survey of 11 analysts showed a median forecast of 8.6 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the third quarter, which would be below 9.4 percent in the April-June period.

The Statistics Office will publish the preliminary flash GDP estimate on Nov. 13.. Data showing details of the third quarter GDP data will be released on Nov. 30.

"The key driving factor behind GDP growth in Slovakia -- the car sector -- was weaker than in previous quarters, which points to modestly slower GDP growth in Q3," said Piotr Matys, a London-based analyst with 4Cast.

Production and export volumes of the automotive industry decelerated in the summer as assembly plants of Volkswagen , PSA Peugeot Citroen and Kia Motors Corp took regular holidays.

Slovakia, however, was still likely to remain one of the fastest growing economies in the European Union thanks to export-boosting foreign investment projects and rising domestic demand after years of belt-tightening reforms.

The government expects full-year 2007 GDP growth to match last year's record of 8.8 percent. The central bank views the economic expansion as healthy and sees no signs of overheating.

The National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) left the key interest rate flat at 4.25 percent for the sixth month in a row in October, despite a September jump in annual EU-norm inflation to 1.7 percent, from a record low of 1.2 percent in August and July.

Market watchers expected no monetary policy reaction to the third quarter GDP data. "From the monetary policy point of view, the structure of GDP growth is healthy and does not create demand-led inflation pressures in the economy," said Miroslav Frayer, a Prague-based analyst at Komercni Banka.

"We do not expect any impact on monetary policy, and we expect rates to stay steady also in the first half of next year," he added.

(For accompanying table click on [nL06332454])

(Writing by Martin Santa and Peter Laca; editing by David Stamp)

Keywords: SLOVAKIA ECONOMY/POLL

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]