www.seio.gov.rs

EUROPEAN ORIENTATION OF SERBIAN EUROPEAN ORIENTATION OF SERBIAN CITIZENS CITIZENS TRENDSTRENDS

Republic of Serbia

Government

European Integration Office

Presentation of public poll results (December 2010)

Research methodology

Realisation: Field research carried out from 17 – 23 December 2010

Research sample:

Serbian citizens older than 18

Sample size:

1030 interviewees

Sample type:

Three-stage stratified sample

First stage unit: territory of polling station

Second stage unit: households

Third stage unit: interviewees in households

Marginal error +/- 3.31%

Type of research:

Direct , at interviewee’s home

If a referendum was organised tomorrow as to “Whether you support our country’s accession to the

European Union”, how would you vote

57%

65%

65%

59%

61%

67%

69%

70%

64%

71%

72%

68%

18%

15%

14%

17%

13%

12%

18%

15%

12%

12%

12%

8%

13%

20%

15%

16%

14%

16%

14%

16%

15%

18%

16%

17%

12%

10%

5%

6%

6%

10%

9%

7%

8%

9%

9%

66%

Dec 10.

Jun 10.

Dec 09.

May 09.

Dec 08.

May 08.

Nov 07.

Jun 07.

Sep 06.

Sep 05.

Sep 04.

Dec 03.

Sep 02.

I would vote for I would vote against

I wouldn't vote Doesn't know, refuses to answer

Why would you vote against? Please indicate one reason for voting against our country’s EU accession?

(spontaneously indicated answers)

28%

14%

10%

10%

8%

8%

5%

5%

4%

3%

4%

2%

Nothing good achieved/more damage thanbenefit

We will live worse/ economic degradation/endebtedness

Conditioning, pressure,

I don't trust them/I don't want to enter theEU/I don't like EU

Negative experience of other countries/EUhas no future

We would become a colony/loss ofsovereignty, independence

Loss of identity

Serbia's enemies/they bombed us

Not realistic, we are not ready to enter theEU

Conditioning by Kosovo, the Hague

Other

Don't know

Base: those who would vote against, 18% of target population

In your opinion, are the reforms required for EU accession to be conducted primarily for meeting the requirements set out by the EU or should they be carried out even if EU did not impose them, for creation

of better Serbia – for ourselves?

72%

14%

5%

9%

63%

12%

3%

22%

78%

12%

3%

7%

Тhе reforms should be carried outeven if they were not a requirement for

EU accession, for creating a betterSerbia, for ourselves

Reforms required for EU accessionshould be carried out primarily sincethis is the fulfillment of EU accession

requirements

Such reforms need not be carried outat all

Doesn’t know, refuses to answer

Dec. 2009

June 2010

Dec. 2010

Which of the following reforms do you consider as most important? – on top position

39%

13%

10%

10%

9%

5%

5%

2%

1%

3%

5%

Combating corruption

Better human rights protection

Health system reform

Agricultural reform

Justice system reform

Education system reform

Consumer protection

Environmental protection

MP's ownership over their mandates

None of them is important

Doesn't know - refuses to answer

Our country’s current pace towards the European Union and the desired pace

2.7 2.6 2.72.9

2.5 2.6

3.43.1

2.7

4.84.6 4.7

54.7 4.7 4.7 4.6

4.1

2.52.7

3.1

2.62.8

3.4

4.955.2

5.4

4.84.9

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Sep02.

Dec02.

Dec03.

Jun 04. Sep04.

Sep05.

Sep06.

Jun 07. Nov 07. May 08. Dec08.

May 09. Dec09.

Jun 10. Dec10.

Current pace Desired pace

Do you personally feel as a European citizen?

40%

34%

29%

35%

35%

26%

36%

32%

37%

21%

27%

27%

24%

26%

24%

23%

26%

20%

38%

39%

44%

40%

38%

49%

41%

42%

43%

Dec. 2010.

Jun 2010.

Dec. 2009.

May 2009.

Dec. 2008.

May 2008.

Nov. 2007.

Jun 2007.

Sep. 2006.

No Yes and no Yes

Thinking about yourself, do you feel more like…

46%

25%

16%

7%

6%

Citizen of Serbia

Citizen of yourhome town

Member of yournation, your ethnic

community

Citizen of Europe

Member of yourreligion

Which of the following statements best describe your idea of European Union citizen?

71%

51%

43%

31%

16%

14%

10%

1%

Right to work in any European Union country

Right to permanent stay in any European Unioncountry

Opportunity to study in any European country

Opportunity to use health protection and socialassistance anywhere in the European Union

Right to vote in local elections in your residencecountry, regardless of nationality

Right to vote in elections for EuropeanParliament in your residence country,

regardless of nationality

Right to vote in general elections in the memberstate of your residence and which is not your

mother country

Doesn't know - refuses to answer

To what extent are You personally prepared to do the following with a view to accede to the EU

31%30%

34%

30%29%

34%

31%

33%33%

19%21%

22%

24%

19%

21%20%20%

27%

36%

39%

35%

37%38%

39%38%

44%

39%

37%

42%

38%

40%41%

34.70%

42%

39%

36%

Dec 10.Jun 10.Dec 09.May 09.Dec 08.May 08.Nov 07.Jun 07.Sep 06.

Further education,requalify, specialise

Live for (another)period withunfavourable livingstandard

Change previousliving habits

Change previousworking habits(working hours,vacation, benefits)

In your opinion, what areas of society will most benefit once our country accedes to the European Union?

35%

30%

27%

23%

21%

20%

16%

13%

8%

14%

Large business

Public administration

Education system

Small and mediumenterprises

Industry

Health system

Agriculture

Justice system

Social care

None

In your opinion, what areas of society will lose the most once our country accedes to the European

Union?

45%

20%

19%

19%

15%

11%

11%

10%

8%

18%

Agriculture

Small and mediumenterprises

Industry

Social protection

Public administration

Health system

Education system

Large business

Justice system

None

What do you think most hampers/slows down our country’s European Union accession?

14%

20% 20%

13% 13%

19%20%

19%17%

15%

18%17%

10%

7%

0%

6%

49%

43%

38%

49%50%

45%

43%

24%

16%20%

13%

12% 12%

6% 9%

12%

7%

13%

14%

15%

10%12%

5%6%7% 7% 3% 3%

Jun 07. Nov 07. May 08. Dec 08. May 09. Dec 09. Jun 10. Dec 10.

Policy of constant conditioningapplied by the EU towards ourcountry

Incapability of domesticleadership

Failure to meet the undertakeninternational commitments

Mentality of our people andunpreparedness for change

Objective obstacles(comprehensive reforms in allareas that need to beundertaken)

Desire of certain domesticpoliticians and parties not toprogress towards the EuropeanUnion

Current situation in theEuropean Union itself

* In December 2010, option “ Current situation in the very European Union” was added

Some think that the European Union will constantly impose new conditions that Serbia will hardly meet.

What is your opinion?

50%

63%

66%

56%

57%

61%

33%

26%

24%

32%

30%

32%

17%

11%

11%

12%

13%

7%

May 2008.

Dec 2008.

May 2009.

Dec 2009.

Jun 2010.

Dec 2010.

European Union willcertainly andconstantly imposenew conditions thatSerbia will hardlymeet

European Union hasclearly defined theconditions and it willcertainly not imposenew conditions

I don't know

If our country was already a member of the EU, would we overcome the economic crisis more easily, more difficult

or nothing would change/it would be the same?

27%

15%

47%

11%

28%

17%

49%

7%

The crisis wouldbe more easily

overcome

It would be evenmore difficult

It would be thesame

Doesn't know -refuses to

answer

Jun 2010.

December 2010.

How do you observe the future of European Union?

EU will overcome current

problems, it will continue to

enlarge and it has a bright

future20%

Doesn't know, has no opinion

12%

EU will overcome current problems

but it will be changed, hence

our EU membership will

not mean the same to us as it

does now11%

EU will meet ever greater problems

in future and probably become

completely confined or even

disintegrated rather than

enlarged and strengthened

30%

EU will probably manage to overcome

current problems, but it

will be increasingly confined and

more difficult to accept the new

members 27%

Are you familiar with the current status of our country’s accession negotiations with the European

Union?

Serbia was handed over

the Questionnaire for EU's avis

39%

Serbia has already become a candidate for EU membership

7%

Serbia is negotiating on accession to the European

Union36%

Doesn't know - refuses to

answer18%

How will Serbia benefit from the candidate status?

37%

32%

27%

26%

21%

15%

10%

Better life, new jobs

Better image of Serbia

More administrative obligations, higherprices and taxes

Access to European funds

More safety

Nothing good

Doesn't know

How informed are you regarding our country’s EU association process?

14%

38%

52%

30%

19%

17%

2%

Not informed atall

Poorly informed

Sum: notinformed

Neither informednor uninformed

Sum: informed

Rather informed

Very wellinformed

How informed are you regarding the European Union funds?

60%

25%

85%

13%

3%

2%

0%

Not informed atall

Poorly informed

Sum: notinformed

Neither informednor uninformed

Sum: informed

Rather informed

Very wellinformed

Do you know, approximately, the annual allocations for Serbia from EU funds? (spontaneously

indicated answers)Base: those informed, 16% of target population

3%

2%

2%

2%

2%

2%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

82%

Very much

Billions of euro

200-300 million

A few hundred millions of euro

50 million euro

10 billion euro

60 million euro

10 million euro

140-150 million euro

Around one billion euro

194 million euro

Doesn't know - refuses to answer

Who is the most responsible for your lack of information regarding our country’s EU accession process?

Other3%

Media, they do not pay sufficient

attention to the topic18%

Serbian Government, for

insufficient information to

citizens16%

Myself, since I do not sufficiently follow relevant

information63%

What type of TV show on European Union would most likely catch your attention?

56%

32%

24%

21%

16%

14%

Shows on experiences of "ordinarycitizens" in the European Union

accession process

Short informative shows on particularEU-related topics

Expert talks on European Union topics(roundtable, debates etc.)

Specialised informative and educationalshows on European Union

Report on daily political events in relationto European Union within informative

shows

I am not interested/I wouldn't try to getinformed

Young people, relative to population average, have more Young people, relative to population average, have more positive attitude to EUpositive attitude to EU: : much higher percentage would vote much higher percentage would vote FOR EU accession and they anticipate personal and general FOR EU accession and they anticipate personal and general

benefit from EU accession to a greater extentbenefit from EU accession to a greater extent

% that would vote FOR EU accession in a

referendum

57%

71%

Populationaverage

18 - 29

% anticipating personal benefit from

EU accession

36%

59%

Populationaverage

18 - 29

% anticipating general benefit

from EU accession

45%

62%

Populationaverage

18 - 29

Thank you for your attention!

Republic of SerbiaGovernment European Integration Officewww.seio.gov.rs