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• 'Irish get most from EU membership'

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  Helena Deane    Group moderator

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  'Irish get most from EU membership'

  (BizWorld)
  
  A new Europe-wide survey reveals that Irish people see the most benefits from membership of the European Union.
  
  Almost 8 out of 10 people - more than in any other EU country - feel that Ireland has benefited as a result of EU membership. However it is clear that the recent economic downturn has taken its toll on levels of optimism both in Ireland and across the EU.
  Commenting on the results of the survey, Director of the European Commission Representation in Ireland, Martin Territt said, "There's no doubt that Irish people, like all Europeans, are very concerned by the economic crisis. The challenge for the EU is to follow through on the recovery plan recently promoted by the European Commission and approved by the European Council. I note that the Irish figures for support for EU membership and the perceived benefits of membership remain among the highest in the EU. This suggests that people see the EU as part of the solution."
  
  The survey reveals that Irish people remain some of the most positive on the question of whether EU membership is a good thing (third highest after the Dutch and the Luxembourgish) and in their perception of the EU (second highest after Romania).
  
  However only 17pc of Irish people think that the current employment situation in Ireland is "good" (a drop of 55 percentage points since this time last year). The Irish assessment of the national and European economies is also gloomy - only 14pc and 18pc of those polled rated the situation as "good" (drops of 62 and 48 percentage points respectively since this time last year). Only 11pc of Irish people view the current global economic situation as "good".
  
  Although three quarters of those polled in Ireland expect the employment situation here to get worse over the next year, it seems that very few think that they will be affected personally. Only 16pc expect their job situation to get worse within the next 12 months. Most Irish people think that their own personal job situation is good at the moment (55pc) and think it will remain the same over the next year (61pc). The majority of Irish people also think that the financial situation in their own household is good (63pc) and most think it remain the same over the next year.
  
  The survey also looked at attitudes towards the enlargement of the EU from 15 to 27 Member States since 2004. Citizens of the "new" Member States (i.e. the 12 that have joined since 2004) think that the recent enlargement has strengthened the EU whereas people from most of the older Member States tend to be less enthusiastic in comparison. Most people in Germany, Belgium, France, Austria and Luxembourg think that enlargement has weakened the EU. In Ireland 46pc think it has made the EU stronger and 27pc think it has made it weaker.
  
  • 18 Dec 2008, 7:21 pm
  Helena Deane wrote: > (BizWorld) > > A new Europe-wide survey reveals that Irish people see the most > benefits from membership of the European Union. > > Almost 8 out of 10 people - more than in any other EU country - feel > that Ireland has benefited as a result of EU membership. However it > is clear that the recent economic downturn has taken its toll on > levels of optimism both in Ireland and across the EU. > Commenting on the results of the survey, Director of the European > Commission Representation in Ireland, Martin Territt said, "There's > no doubt that Irish people, like all Europeans, are very concerned by > the economic crisis. The challenge for the EU is to follow through on > the recovery plan recently promoted by the European Commission and > approved by the European Council. I note that the Irish figures for > support for EU membership and the perceived benefits of membership > remain among the highest in the EU. This suggests that people see the > EU as part of the solution." > > The survey reveals that Irish people remain some of the most positive > on the question of whether EU membership is a good thing (third > highest after the Dutch and the Luxembourgish) and in their > perception of the EU (second highest after Romania). > > However only 17pc of Irish people think that the current employment > situation in Ireland is "good" (a drop of 55 percentage points since > this time last year). The Irish assessment of the national and > European economies is also gloomy - only 14pc and 18pc of those > polled rated the situation as "good" (drops of 62 and 48 percentage > points respectively since this time last year). Only 11pc of Irish > people view the current global economic situation as "good". > > Although three quarters of those polled in Ireland expect the > employment situation here to get worse over the next year, it seems > that very few think that they will be affected personally. Only 16pc > expect their job situation to get worse within the next 12 months. > Most Irish people think that their own personal job situation is good > at the moment (55pc) and think it will remain the same over the next > year (61pc). The majority of Irish people also think that the > financial situation in their own household is good (63pc) and most > think it remain the same over the next year. > > The survey also looked at attitudes towards the enlargement of the EU > from 15 to 27 Member States since 2004. Citizens of the "new" Member > States (i.e. the 12 that have joined since 2004) think that the > recent enlargement has strengthened the EU whereas people from most > of the older Member States tend to be less enthusiastic in > comparison. Most people in Germany, Belgium, France, Austria and > Luxembourg think that enlargement has weakened the EU. In Ireland > 46pc think it has made the EU stronger and 27pc think it has made it > weaker.