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The annual rate of change of M3 stood at -0.1% in April 2010, unchanged from the previous month. The three-month average of the annual rates of change of M3 over the period February 2010 - April 2010 stood at -0.2%, unchanged from the previous period.

In May, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) declined, moving back to 100.0 (-1.9 points) in the EU and to 98.4 (-2.2 points) in the euro area. While Industry sentiment continued to improve, all other sectoral sentiment indicators dropped in the EU and the euro area.

In March 2010, the amount outstanding of shares/units issued by euro area investment funds other than money market funds was higher than one quarter earlier in December 2009. This increase was due both to increases in share/unit prices and to net issues of shares/units.

EU27 trade in goods with Russia had increased steadily until 2008, before dropping sharply in 2009. EU27 exports to Russia rose from 23 billion euro in 2000 to 105 bn in 2008, then fell to 66 bn in 2009. Imports rose from 64 bn in 2000 to 178 bn in 2008, then decreased to 115 bn in 2009. As a result, the EU27 trade deficit with Russia increased significantly from 41 bn euro in 2000 to 73 bn in 2008, then fell to 50 bn in 2009.

In the EU27, household electricity prices fell by 1.5% between the second half of 2008 and the second half of 2009, and gas prices by 16.0%. Between the same time periods of 2007 and 2008, household electricity prices in the EU27 rose by 6.8%, and gas prices by 21.0%.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the Euro Area increased 0.9 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) remained unchanged in April.

The reliance of financial institutions on emergency support through state guarantees is declining. This encouraging early indicator of a gradual return to market conditions in the banking sector is the key finding of the spring state aid scoreboard issued by the European Commission. Altogether, the Commission has approved crisis measures put forward by Member States for an overall maximum volume of €4131.1 billion. Guarantee umbrellas account for over three quarters of this volume, amounting to €3149.8 billion. The effective use of the possibilities for state guaranteed funding and of recapitalisation measures taken together amounted to €1235.2 billion, significantly less than a third of the total.

The late ‘90s mantra of “Show me the money” has morphed into “Show me the value,” reflecting a new focus by consumers hungry for value in all its forms, according to Convergys’ recently completed 2010 Consumer Scorecard Research study. UK consumers want the companies with which they do business to value them, value their time, value their money, and value their preferences, say the study findings, released by Convergys Corporation, a global leader in relationship management.

In March 2010 compared with February 2010, the euro area (EA16) industrial new orders index rose by 5.2%. In February the index increased by 1.9%. In the EU27, new orders gained 5.9% in March 2010 after a rise of 1.1% in February. Excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment, for which changes tend to be more volatile, industrial new orders grew by 4.5% in the euro area and by 5.0% in the EU27.

Satisfaction with life in general in Europe has fallen by about 4% between the last quarter of 2007 and September 2009, according to trends on the subjective well-being in the 27 EU Member States. The most marked change over the same period of recessionary climate was the 12% decline in people’s levels of trust in political institutions.