Industrial Production Slips in EU

Industrial output in the 17-country eurozone, which climbed an upwardly revised 0.8% from January to February, declined 0.3% in March, according to Eurostat, the EU statistical agency.

Production fell 2.2% from March 2011, the sharpest year-on-year drop since December 2009.

Eurostat says the biggest factor was an 8.5% plunge in energy production, probably because of unusually warm weather.

Across the EU, industrial output slid 0.4% month on month in March and 1.9% from a year earlier. Economists say renewed uncertainty about the region's debt crisis is hurting production and the overall economy.

By country, March industrial production rose 1.3% month on month in Germany and 0.5% in Italy but fell 1.8% in Spain and 0.9% in France.