19/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - According to a survey published in Monday's Financial Times, only 25% of the citizens of the five largest Member States (France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain) believe that their life has improved since their country joined the EU. 44% of respondents in these five countries even said that their life had got worse. The European Commission “strongly contests” the findings of the survey. “Would people in our Member States generally say they were better off in 1957, in 1973 or 1986 when the countries we are talking about joined what is the EU today? In terms of economic prosperity, life expectancy, health, social security, mobility?”, asked a spokesperson, who believes that it is of “primordial importance” that the Community institutions and the Member States improve their methods of communication. (hb)