European stocks were muted on Monday as the U.S. and China prepare to sign a so-called “phase one” trade deal on Wednesday, while protests continue in Iran over the downing of a Ukrainian commercial airliner.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 slipped 0.18% to 418.12 by the close, with autos falling almost 1% to lead losses while tech and utilities stocks added 0.34%.

Representatives from Washington and Beijing are expected to sign the first phase of a long-awaited trade accord on Wednesday, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin insisted on Sunday that China's commitments had not changed during a lengthy translation process. Mnuchin also confirmed that the details will be published this week.

Source : CNBC