In Frankfurt, natural gas and electricity provider RWE helped nudge the DAX into positive territory, rising 2.9%, followed by postal services provider Deutsche Post, and plastic materials manufacturer Covestro, which both closed 1.5% higher. The FTSE climbed 1.26%, the DAX edged 0.04% higher, and the CAC-40 gained 0.50%. In economic news, euro area annual inflation rate was 1.3% in March, up from 1.1% in February, and down from 1.5% a year earlier according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.