More than 80 per cent of the Maltese feel ‘European’ and want to know more about their rights, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey results published today.

The EU-average is six out of 10 citizens, but less than half (46 per cent) know what these rights are.

The results also show that Europeans see their rights as EU citizens as the most positive result of membership – almost six in 10 people identify the free movement of people, goods and services as the EU's most positive result.

Despite the crisis, those saying they are optimistic about the EU's future outnumber those who say they are pessimistic in 19 out of 28 countries.

Pessimism about the impact of the crisis on jobs appears to be receding.

Almost seven in 10 Europeans (67 per cent), with a majority in all member states, say that the EU's voice counts in the world.

An absolute majority (51 per cent) of Europeans are in favour of the euro, with those living within the euro area supporting the single currency with a two-thirds majority (62 per cent).

This support is at or near its strongest (between 68 and 77 per cent) in four out of the last five countries to join the euro area - Estonia, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia.

The factsheet for Malta can be seen in the pdf link below.

The spring 2013 standard Eurobarometer was conducted through face-to-face interviews between May 10 and 26. A total of 32,694 people were interviewed across the EU states and in the candidate countries.