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After months of focusing on savings, American families are responding to growing economic concerns by turning their attention to paying down debt.

The European strategy for encouraging the development and eventual widespread use of clean and energy efficient vehicles aims to help the European car industry to strengthen its leading role globally basing its production on clean and energy-efficient technologies. This strategy is laid down in a Communication, tabled by the European Commission. It delivers on the consensus between Member States and European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani's commitment to move on from short-term recovery measures to a medium-term orientation that strengthens the competitiveness of the European automotive industry by linking it to clean technologies. The strategy also contributes to the Europe 2020 objectives of smart and sustainable growth. It contains an Action Plan composed of concrete and ambitious measures to be implemented by the Commission.

EU energy efficiency legislation for buildings and the new layout of the EU energy efficiency label were approved by the Industry Committee on Wednesday. These measures - which come in addition to the EU's 2008 climate change package - were agreed with the Council last year and are to be put to a final vote by the full Parliament in May.

Americans' confidence in their ability to access and pay for healthcare continued to decline last month, according to a new consumer sentiment index from Thomson Reuters.

The latest edition of the PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Manufacturing Barometer reports that cautious optimism continues to grow in regard to the U.S. and global economies among U.S.-based industrial manufacturers, according to the Q1 2010 report. Over half of industrial products manufacturers (53 percent) are optimistic about the U.S. economy's prospects over the next 12 months. Only 10 percent are pessimistic, a sharp contrast to 55 percent a year ago; while 37 percent remain uncertain.

Data through February 2010, released by Standard & Poor's for its S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices, show that the annual rates of decline of the 10-City and 20-City Composites improved in February compared to January 2010. For the first time since December 2006, the annual rates of change for the two Composites are positive. The 10-City Composite is up 1.4% from where it was in February 2009, and the 20-City Composite is up 0.6% versus the same time last year. However, 11 of 20 cities saw year-over-year declines.

Between 2000 and 2009, EU27 exports of goods to Japan fell in value by around 20%, from 45 bn euro to 36 bn, while EU27 imports from Japan decreased by almost 40%, from 92 bn to 56 bn. As a result, the EU27 deficit in trade with Japan decreased from 47 bn in 2000 to 20 bn in 2009 and the share of Japan in the EU27's total external trade in goods fell significantly. In 2009, Japan accounted for 3% of EU27 exports and 5% of EU27 imports, and was the EU27's sixth most important trading partner.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had rebounded in March, increased further in April. The Index now stands at 57.9 (1985=100), up from 52.3 in March. The Present Situation Index increased to 28.6 from 25.2. The Expectations Index improved to 77.4 from 70.4.

Consumer confidence in the overall direction of the economy showed slight improvement from last month while confidence in technology dropped to its lowest level since March 2009, according to the latest figures released from the Consumer Electronics Association and CNET.

Nearly three-quarters of healthcare executives surveyed earlier this month say healthcare reform will have a negative financial impact on their facilities, while more than 60 percent note that reform will have a somewhat or very detrimental effect on the quality of care their facilities are able to provide.