Brussels, 06/07/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the European Commission presented the results of a new Eurobarometer Spring 2006 (No. 65, conducted with nearly 30,000 EU respondents as well as Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Turkey and the Turkish-Cypriot community, between 27 March and 1 May 2006), according to which there is ever-decreasing citizen support for EU enlargement. Only 45% of respondents said they are still in favour of future enlargements (compared to 49% in August 2005), while 42% are against (in August 2005, there were 39%) and 13% are of no opinion. These averages hide considerable variations between the different Member States. Thus, the ten new States which entered in May 2004 are all largely in favour of future enlargements - Slovenia (73%), Poland (72%), Lithuania (60%), Hungary (59%), Cyprus and the Czech Republic (58%), Malta (56%), Latvia (54%) and Estonia (50%) - while five of the six EU founding countries have rates of support below the average: Belgium (45% the average), the Netherlands (43%), France (31%), Germany (28%), and Luxembourg and Austria (27%). In the accession countries (Bulgaria and Romania) and in the two candidate countries, support for EU membership remains high, except support in Turkey which has fallen 7% compared to August 2005 with popular support for EU membership now standing at only 45%. Commission sources explain that this fall is due to the euphoria created by the opening of membership talks in October 2005, which has given way to greater realism given the difficulties encountered in negotiations strictly speaking. The quarrel between the EU and Ankara on implementation of the additional protocol to the Ankara Agreement on customs union is also said to have contributed to the decline in popular support in Turkey. On Thursday, the Commission announced its intention to publish a special Eurobarometer on enlargement this autumn (in September or October), the results of which are expected to fuel the debate of Heads of State and Government on the EU's future enlargement strategy during the European Council of 14/15 December this year.
The other main results of Eurobarometer No.35 are:
Support for EU membership. On average, citizens' rate of support for EU membership is 55%, compared to 50% in August 2005, with strong variations between the Member States. In the lead are the Irish (77%), followed by the Dutch (74%), Spanish and Luxembourg citizens (72%), Belgians and Danish (65%), Lithuanians (59%), Germans (57%) and Italians and Polish (56%). Below the 55% average (exactly reached in Slovakia), there are the Slovenians (54%), the Greek (53%), the Czechs (52%), Estonians (51%), the French and Swedish, Cypriots and Hungarians (all at 49%), Portuguese (47%), Maltese (44%), and British (42% which, according to the Commission, is a high level not reached since the end of the eighties and early nineties), Finnish (39%), Latvians (37%) and Austrians (34%). On average, 62% (+4% compared to 2005) consider that their country has benefited from EU membership. A Commission spokesperson said on Thursday that there was a “logical link” between these quite positive figures and the approach chosen by the Barroso Commission in favour of creating a “Europe of results”.
European Constitution. The rate of EU citizen support for the idea of a European Constitution has fallen slightly (-2%) compared to August 2005, reaching 61% today. Twenty-two percent are opposed to a European Constitution and 17% do not know. With 62% in favour, France is just above the average, whereas the Netherlands is just below, with 59%.
Main concerns of Europeans. Forty-nine percent of respondents (+5% compared to 2005), are concerned by unemployment followed by insecurity (24%), the economic situation (23%), the health system (18%), immigration (14%), the rise in prices and inflation (13%) and terrorism (10%). (See: http: //ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm).