European stocks slid Monday at the start of a busy week, with interest rate decisions due from the Bank of England, the European Central Bank and the US Federal Reserve.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index dipped 0.5 percent to 7,729.53 points compared with the closing level on Friday.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX shed 0.7 percent to 15,049.08 points and the Paris CAC 40 also lost 0.7 percent to 7,050.01.

Asian indices mostly fell as traders struggled to maintain momentum from last week's rally.

"Stocks were on the back foot early Monday as attention shifts to this week's vital Federal Reserve meeting, as well as supporting acts in the shape of ECB and BoE," said Markets.com analyst Neil Wilson.

"Shares across Europe opened lower after Asia mainly slipped, though China rallied as it reopened following the lunar new year holiday."

The Fed is forecast Wednesday to lift interest rates this week by just 25 basis points, down from the half-point hike last month, which followed four straight 75-point increases.

The BoE and ECB will then unveil their latest decisions one day later.

The central bank meetings come as a string of recent data suggests that last year's monetary tightening campaign by policymakers was beginning to kick in, as price rises begin to slow from their multi-decade highs.