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The pan-European STOXX 600 fell 0.7 percent, while
The tech sector dropped 1 percent, weighed bychipmakers after an overnight report that Apple plans to replaceIntel chips in Macs with its own.
The index has fallen 8 percent in the past three weeks asanxiety grew over big tech companies with the focus onFacebook's use of data, and regulation of Amazon.
Reports of Apple increasingly going down the "insourcing"route have dented shares in Apple suppliers around the world,most notably
On Tuesday ams led the falls, down 2.8 percent, whileSTMicro declined 2.3 percent and Infineonfell 1.7 percent.
Risk appetite was poor across the board, as Europeaninvestors followed
Outside the tech sector, food services group Sodexowas the worst-performing on the STOXX, down 3.8percent after Goldman Sachs cut the stock to "neutral", citingcompetition and cost inflation.
Acquisition news also continued to move the European market.
Eurofins Scientific shares fell 2.9 percent, theworst performers on the STOXX, after the firm acquired LabFrontier in
Basic resources and oil & gas stocks were a rare brightspot, making gains as metals prices rose.(Reporting by Helen Reid, Editing by Kit Rees)