Candidate Countries Eurobarometer 2003.2, May 2003

The Candidate Countries Eurobarometer (CCEB) series, firstconducted in 2001, gathers information from the countries applying tobecome members of the European Union (EU) in a way that allows directcomparison with the standard Eurobarometer series carried out in theexisting EU countries. The CCEB provides decision-makers and theEuropean public with opinion data on the similarities and differencesbetween the EU and the candidate countries. The CCEB continuouslytracks support for EU membership in each country and records changesin attitudes related to European issues in the candidate countries.This round of the CCEB surveys was conducted between May 2 and May 31,2003, in the 13 candidate countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic,Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia,Slovenia, and Turkey. Respondents were queried on such topics as lifesatisfaction and expectations, European countries visited and workedin, attitudes towards foreigners, trust in institutions, national andEuropean identity, European currency, European elections, politicalparticipation, democracy satisfaction, and important national issues(e.g., crime, public transportation, rising prices/inflation,taxation, unemployment, terrorism, and the educational system).Respondents also answered questions focusing on the EU's importance,national decision-making policies (particularly foreign and defensepolicies), policy priorities, image, membership, enlargement,unification, and constitution. Demographic variables includenationality, age, gender, household income, current occupation andwhether the respondent was paid directly or indirectly by the state,local government, or other public administration, marital status,level of education, number of people living in household, whetheranyone in the household owned a color television set, video recorder,video camera, automatic washing machine, dishwasher, home computer,microwave oven, mobile phone, or two or more cars, religiousaffiliation and how often religious services were attended, and votingintent.