Eurobarometer
Encyclopedia
Eurobarometer is a series of surveys
regularly performed on behalf of the European Commission
since 1973. It produces reports of public opinion
of certain issues relating to the European Union
across the member states. The Eurobarometer results are published by the Public Opinion Analysis Sector of the European Commission Directorate-General Communication
.
The Eurobarometer program was initially launched and managed by Jacques-René Rabier, with the political support of both the European Parliament and Commission. His task was pursued by Karlheinz Reif, Anna Melich, Rubén Mohedano-Brèthes, Thomas Christensen and Renaud Soufflot de Magny.
Eurobarometer was originally conceived as a way to track and analyse public opinion in all European Member States (later, in candidate and third countries as well) and to improve the information and communication policy of European decision makers.
It is a unique tool for discerning public opinions and trends on a wide variety of issues relating to the EU. Its database since 1973 is one of the largest in the world.
conducted surveys in the six member countries (at that time) of the European Community (Belgium
, France
, West Germany
, Italy
, Luxembourg
, and the Netherlands
). These European Communities Studies assessed public opinion on individual national priorities as well as on integrated European functions and organizations, including the Common Market (European Economic Community).
In 1972-1973, national referendums were held regarding the enlargement of the European Community to include Denmark
, Ireland
and the United Kingdom
.
Regular semi-annual polls of member nations began in September 1973 now including nine countries, with the survey series first being given the name Eurobarometer in 1974. The fieldwork for Euro-Barometer 1 was conducted in April-May of that year, with results published in July.
Already in 1962 and under the header "Attitudes towards Europe" a first international survey on attitudes towards European unification was carried out by GALLUP International on request of the Press- and Information Service of the European Communities (EEC) in Germany
, Belgium
, France
, Italy
, Luxembourg
and the Netherlands
.
(formerly European Communities).
The Standard Eurobarometer survey is carried out each autumn and spring. Although the range of questions has been expanded over the years, the programme aims to keep most of the survey constant, so that data is comparable over time. Starting with Eurobarometer 34 (1990) separate supplementary surveys on special topics have been conducted under almost each Eurobarometer number. Since autumn 2004 the Standard Eurobarometer is carried out by TNS Opinion and Social.
Special irregularly repeated modules investigate topics such as agriculture, biotechnology, energy, environment, gender roles, family, youth, elderly, health related issues, immigration, poverty, regional identity, science and technology, working conditions, consumer behaviour, urban traffic etc. in a European perspective. In the case of some supplementary studies, special youth
and elderly samples have been drawn. The youth supplement to the standard Eurobarometer
occurs irregularly, and has so far taken place in 1982, 1987, 1990, and 1997.
in the 1990s. It consists of interviews, conducted by telephone, which are undertaken on an ad hoc basis. A Flash EB survey can be carried out at the request of either the Commission or any other EU institution. The main advantage of the Flash EB, as opposed to a normal Eurobarometer survey, is that it is much faster, providing results almost instantaneously. In addition, it is more suitable to the targeting of specific groups within the population of the EU, to find out their opinions on the topic in question. An example would be one conducted in April 2004 about the introduction of the Euro
in the new EU member states
. Until 2005 the Flash Eurobarometer have been carried out by EOS Gallup Europe. In 2006 the contract has been awarded to The Gallup Organization Europe (Gallup Europe).
between 1990 and 1997. Once a year the CEEB surveys have been monitoring economic and political changes, and attitudes towards Europe and the European Union in up to 20 countries of the region.
launched a series of surveys in the 13 countries that were applying for European Union membership under the heading Candidate Eurobarometer (initially named Applicant Countries Eurobarometer or AC-EB). The CC-EB surveys were carried out by Gallup Hungary in Bulgaria
, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic
, Estonia
, Hungary
, Latvia
, Lithuania
, Malta
, Poland
, Romania
, Slovakia
, Slovenia
, and Turkey
. After the EU enlargements in 2004 and 2007, the CC-EB countries are included in the Standard Eurobarometer, intermittently still comprising the remaining candidates, Turkey
, and Croatia
, as well as the Turkish Cypriot community (Northern Cyprus). Candidate Countries Eurobarometer gathered information from the societies which were going to become members of the EU in a way that is comparable with the Standard Eurobarometer. In 2003, the Candidate Countries Eurobarometer included a supplement on Youth in New Europe, which provided an interesting basis for comparison with the Eurobarometer Reports on Young People
.
Statistical survey
Survey methodology is the field that studies surveys, that is, the sample of individuals from a population with a view towards making statistical inferences about the population using the sample. Polls about public opinion, such as political beliefs, are reported in the news media in democracies....
regularly performed on behalf of the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
since 1973. It produces reports of public opinion
Public opinion
Public opinion is the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs held by the adult population. Public opinion can also be defined as the complex collection of opinions of many different people and the sum of all their views....
of certain issues relating to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
across the member states. The Eurobarometer results are published by the Public Opinion Analysis Sector of the European Commission Directorate-General Communication
Directorate-General Communication (European Commission)
The Directorate-General Communication is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.The mission of the DG Communication is:* To inform the media and citizens of the activities of the European Commission and to communicate the objectives and goals of its policies and actions.* To inform the...
.
The Eurobarometer program was initially launched and managed by Jacques-René Rabier, with the political support of both the European Parliament and Commission. His task was pursued by Karlheinz Reif, Anna Melich, Rubén Mohedano-Brèthes, Thomas Christensen and Renaud Soufflot de Magny.
Eurobarometer was originally conceived as a way to track and analyse public opinion in all European Member States (later, in candidate and third countries as well) and to improve the information and communication policy of European decision makers.
It is a unique tool for discerning public opinions and trends on a wide variety of issues relating to the EU. Its database since 1973 is one of the largest in the world.
Forerunners of Eurobarometer
In 1970 and 1971 the European CommissionEuropean Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
conducted surveys in the six member countries (at that time) of the European Community (Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
). These European Communities Studies assessed public opinion on individual national priorities as well as on integrated European functions and organizations, including the Common Market (European Economic Community).
In 1972-1973, national referendums were held regarding the enlargement of the European Community to include Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Regular semi-annual polls of member nations began in September 1973 now including nine countries, with the survey series first being given the name Eurobarometer in 1974. The fieldwork for Euro-Barometer 1 was conducted in April-May of that year, with results published in July.
Already in 1962 and under the header "Attitudes towards Europe" a first international survey on attitudes towards European unification was carried out by GALLUP International on request of the Press- and Information Service of the European Communities (EEC) in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Standard Eurobarometer survey
The Standard Eurobarometer survey series is a cross-national longitudinal study, designed to compare and gauge trends within member states of the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(formerly European Communities).
The Standard Eurobarometer survey is carried out each autumn and spring. Although the range of questions has been expanded over the years, the programme aims to keep most of the survey constant, so that data is comparable over time. Starting with Eurobarometer 34 (1990) separate supplementary surveys on special topics have been conducted under almost each Eurobarometer number. Since autumn 2004 the Standard Eurobarometer is carried out by TNS Opinion and Social.
Special irregularly repeated modules investigate topics such as agriculture, biotechnology, energy, environment, gender roles, family, youth, elderly, health related issues, immigration, poverty, regional identity, science and technology, working conditions, consumer behaviour, urban traffic etc. in a European perspective. In the case of some supplementary studies, special youth
Eurobarometer Reports on Young People
The Young Europeans Reports is a series of representative surveys of young Europeans conducted on behalf of the European Commission, and is part of the Eurobarometer...
and elderly samples have been drawn. The youth supplement to the standard Eurobarometer
Eurobarometer Reports on Young People
The Young Europeans Reports is a series of representative surveys of young Europeans conducted on behalf of the European Commission, and is part of the Eurobarometer...
occurs irregularly, and has so far taken place in 1982, 1987, 1990, and 1997.
Flash Eurobarometer
The Flash Eurobarometer were introduced by the European CommissionEuropean Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
in the 1990s. It consists of interviews, conducted by telephone, which are undertaken on an ad hoc basis. A Flash EB survey can be carried out at the request of either the Commission or any other EU institution. The main advantage of the Flash EB, as opposed to a normal Eurobarometer survey, is that it is much faster, providing results almost instantaneously. In addition, it is more suitable to the targeting of specific groups within the population of the EU, to find out their opinions on the topic in question. An example would be one conducted in April 2004 about the introduction of the Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
in the new EU member states
Enlargement of the European Union
The Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union through the accession of new member states. This process began with the Inner Six, who founded the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952...
. Until 2005 the Flash Eurobarometer have been carried out by EOS Gallup Europe. In 2006 the contract has been awarded to The Gallup Organization Europe (Gallup Europe).
Central and Eastern Eurobarometer
The Central and Eastern Eurobarometer series was carried out on behalf of the European CommissionEuropean Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
between 1990 and 1997. Once a year the CEEB surveys have been monitoring economic and political changes, and attitudes towards Europe and the European Union in up to 20 countries of the region.
Candidate countries Eurobarometer
In October 2001, the European CommissionEuropean Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
launched a series of surveys in the 13 countries that were applying for European Union membership under the heading Candidate Eurobarometer (initially named Applicant Countries Eurobarometer or AC-EB). The CC-EB surveys were carried out by Gallup Hungary in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. After the EU enlargements in 2004 and 2007, the CC-EB countries are included in the Standard Eurobarometer, intermittently still comprising the remaining candidates, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, as well as the Turkish Cypriot community (Northern Cyprus). Candidate Countries Eurobarometer gathered information from the societies which were going to become members of the EU in a way that is comparable with the Standard Eurobarometer. In 2003, the Candidate Countries Eurobarometer included a supplement on Youth in New Europe, which provided an interesting basis for comparison with the Eurobarometer Reports on Young People
Eurobarometer Reports on Young People
The Young Europeans Reports is a series of representative surveys of young Europeans conducted on behalf of the European Commission, and is part of the Eurobarometer...
.
External links
- Public Opinion Analysis sector of the European Commission DG Communication providing public access to the official Eurobarometer reports
- Data Archive services providing access to Eurobarometer primary data for re-use (statistical analysis) in social science research and training (GESIS)
- Cross-national survey programs historical overview and links to resources (GESIS)