Malta heads candidates list

The latest Eurobarometer survey published yesterday shows that Malta is the favourite accession country among EU populations when it comes to support for membership.

According to the survey, 52 per cent of Europeans support Malta's EU membership bid and 28 per cent are against. Malta's support has increased by five per cent over the previous Eurobarometer survey. It is now at the top of the list of the 13 candidate countries.

Malta is followed by Hungary, Poland and Cyprus. Turkey and Romania enjoy the least support.

This 58th Eurobarometer report presents an analysis of public opinion towards the European Union in autumn, 2002.

Fifty-two per cent of those surveyed are in favour of the enlargement of the European Union (+2 points since spring of last year) but enlargement is still not viewed as a priority for the European Union (31 per cent see it as a priority).

A phased enlargement is the favourite path to take for 46 per cent of EU citizens. Twenty per cent show unlimited support for enlargement.

The survey also shows increased support for the principle of a common foreign and security policy. Support for the principle of a common foreign policy has risen by three percentage points since spring, 2002, to 67 per cent. The principle of having such a policy also has the support of a very large majority of citizens, with 73 per cent in favour.

Regarding the US' "war on terrorism", 54 per cent of Europeans are supportive of Washington's role, and only 28 per cent consider it negative. In other areas, EU citizens appear overwhelmingly critical of the US: fight against poverty in the world: 49 per cent think US is an obstacle; protection of the environment: 57 per cent believe the US plays a negative role; global impact of US economic policy: 38 per cent positive against 34 per cent negative.

Overall, 67 per cent of Europeans would support the forging of a common foreign policy by the EU Member States, three per cent more than in the spring of 2002. Support is highest in Italy (80 per cent), Greece (79 per cent) and Luxembourg (78 per cent). In Belgium the result was 70 per cent. In nine of the 15 member states, the public is increasingly in favour of the Union creating and pursuing common foreign policies. The survey also found that 55 per cent of citizens believe that their country's membership of the EU is a good thing.

The Eurobarometer survey is conducted twice a year by the Commission. The latest survey polled 1,000 people in each EU member state in October and November, 2002.