Eurobarometer
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Eurobarometer is a series of surveys performed by the Public Opinion Analysis sector of the European Commission since 1974. It regularly produces reports of public opinion of certain issues relating to the European Union across the member states. The Eurobarometer results are published by the Directorate-General for Information of the European Commission.
Eurobarometer was originally conceived of as a way to improve the information and communication strategy of the EU. It is a useful tool for discerning public opinions on a large variety of issues relating to the EU, for example, on the acceptance of new member states.
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Forerunners of Eurobarometer
In 1970, the European Commission conducted surveys in the six member countries (at that time) of the European Community (Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.) These surveys assessed public opinion on individual national priorities as well as on integrated European functions and organizations, including the Common Market (European Economic Community) .
Another set of surveys of the six member states was performed in the summer of 1971, with agricultural issues as a special topic.
In 1972-1973, national referenda 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, 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.
Standard Eurobarometer survey
The Standard Eurobarometer survey series is a cross-national longitudinal study, designed to compare and gauge trends within memberstates of the European Union (formerly European Community).
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. The Standard Eurobarometer is carried out by TNS Opinion and Social[1].
Flash Eurobarometer
The Flash Eurobarometer is a recent introduction by the European Commission. 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 insitution. The main advantage of the Flash EB, as opposed to a normal Eurobarometer survey, is that it is a lot 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 [2]. The Flash Eurobarometer contract has been awarded to The Gallup Organization Europe (Gallup Europe)[3] in 2006.
External link
- Public Opinion Analysis sector of the European Commissionde:Eurobarometer