Brussels, 30/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - Eight-three percent of EU citizens are reasonably satisfied with the lives they lead and 34% think their lives will improve in 2001. Also, a large majority support common security and defence policy and hope to see the Union play a greater role in this. On the other hand, they are not very keen on enlargement and know little about the EU institutions and about how the EU's budget is broken down. These are the main conclusions reached by the 54th Eurobarometer report, published on 30 April, for which EUROPE had already given some information in February. This latest statistical report, drawn up between 14 November and 19 December 2000 with the participation of over 16,000 people in the fifteen Member States, reveals that there has been slight erosion in support for single currency.
Fifty percent of European citizens consider it is a good thing they belong to the EU, and most of them consider that their country has benefited from accession. There are also 55% who support the euro, although a slight decline in support has been noted compared to the survey of spring 2000 (-3%, the number of Europeans opposed rising from 33 to 37%). Most support comes from the euro-zone, where 62% of citizens are in favour of single currency, while only 23% are in favour in Member Sates that do not belong to the euro-zone (Sweden, Denmark, United Kingdom).
Eurobarometer confirms that the EU enjoys considerable support for common security and defence policy (73%) and shows that nearly two Europeans out of three (65%) believe the EU should have a common foreign policy. These statistics are confirmed by the fact that 45% of Europeans would like the EU to play a more important role in five years' time than it does at present, with 28% saying they hope for status quo and only 14% hoping for it to play a less important role.
Another source of satisfaction for the actors in European construction is the confidence shown by citizens in European institutions. The 54th edition of Eurobarometer reveals that 46% of those taking part in the survey do have confidence in the Commission, as opposed to only 40% in spring 1999, the day after the Santer team resigned. The European Parliament, on the other hand, remains the institution that inspires the most confidence (53%) among all European institutions.
Finally, and more generally, 30% of Europeans believe that the employment market situation will improve in their country in 2001 and 27% believe the financial situation of their household will improve.
The 54th edition of Eurobarometer nonetheless comprises a number of data that are less positive for those defending the European cause. Thus, enlargement, the priority of all priorities, is not considered as a matter of urgency except by 26% of those taking part. Thirty-five percent are opposed to it, and only 44% are in favour, with 21% still of no opinion. This is only an average. Seventy percent of Greeks, 59% of Italians, 58% of Spanish and 56% of Swedes and Danes are in favour of enlargement as compared to only 36% of Germans, 35% of French, 32% of Austrians and 31% of British! If new Member States are to be taken in, 70% of Europeans would like these new states to be Switzerland and Norway, which are not even candidates for accession …. Malta's accession is supported by 48% of those taking part in the survey and the candidate country of Central Europe that receives the largest number of votes is Hungary (46%), followed by Poland (44%). Romania is only supported by 33% of those questioned, and Turkey by 30%. This lack of enthusiasm towards enlargement is linked to the supposed cost of the operation. Fifty percent of citizens consider it will cost their country a great deal (and that they will receive less aid themselves), and only 35% are in favour of paying aid to candidate countries to help them join the EU. In addition, the population fears that enlargement would have the result of higher unemployment levels. Denmark (62%), Italy (54%), Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden (each 53%) are the countries that express the most concern.
Another source of concern is that only 29% of citizens have a good, let alone very good, knowledge of the European Union. Thirty percent think that the large part of the budget of the European Union goes in administrative costs, while the salaries of officials, the organisation of meetings, the leasing of buildings and other operating costs only represent 5% of the total EU budget.
In answer to questions on the lack of enthusiasm shown by Europeans towards enlargement and on their poor knowledge of the institutions, the Commission's spokesman, Jonathan Faull, pointed out in substance that the Commission, via its offices in Member States, and the Member States themselves would be working to dissipate certain "misunderstandings". He also made it clear that Commissioner Verheugen intended to launch a major information campaign on enlargement through the Commission's offices in Member States and in collaboration with the latter.
So, with 40% of EU citizens pleased of the way democracy works (although 43% are not very or not at all pleased), 62% of EU citizens are proud to be European.