European shares held steady near 6-1/2-month highs on Thursday, with gains limited by concerns over the pace of global growth, while oil prices hit a three-month peak on escalating violence in Iraq. The FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top European shares was flat at 1,392.07 points, hamstrung by a dip in miners Rio Tinto RIO.L and BHP Billiton BLT.L. The index was still within sight of the 1,398.65 peak hit earlier this week. The market is quite vulnerable to negative news at the moment,” said Philippe de Vandiere, analyst at Altedia Investment Consulting, in Paris.