The level of awareness of European cohesion policy among European Union citizens remains low. Only 40% of European citizens were aware of the action of the Structural and Investment Funds in June 2019, according to the Eurobarometer on Regional Policy, published on Monday 7 October, at the launch of the opening of the Week of Regions and Cities 2019.
This is certainly a slight increase compared to the results recorded in June 2010, when 34% of citizens were aware of this type of financial support in the area where they lived, but the rate remains low. The figures are even lower for the Interreg programme, known by only 1 in 10 citizens, according to the Eurobarometer, or still worse, the Cohesion Fund, of which only 3% of the citizens surveyed had heard.
On the other hand, those who are familiar with European action have a positive perception of it: 8 out of 10 citizens have a favourable opinion of it (81%). This level has also improved slightly over the past ten years, when the positive perception was around 76%. Almost one in six respondents stressed the need for the EU to invest in all regions (compared to 47% in 2010) and 37% only in the poorest regions (compared to 49% in 2010).
Interesting point: the primary source of information among citizens on co-financed projects remains national television, according to the Eurobarometer (22% of respondents), closely followed by regional or local newspapers (21%). However, the proportion of responses citing television as the main source of information has decreased significantly since 2010 (36% at the time), while the Internet has increased from 6% to 14% over the same period.
On the same day, the European Commission published the Regional Competitiveness Index. These figures are intended to provide food for thought for the national authorities responsible for designing programmes for the next cohesion policy, while negotiations on the next Common Provisions Regulation are resuming (see other news).
To consult the Eurobarometer: http://bit.ly/35fzUQk
To see the index: http://bit.ly/2ModhjY (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)