Poll shows French support for Union at lowest level

Date: 27/06/02

SUPPORT for EU membership in France has fallen to its lowest level since 1973, according to the latest Eurobarometer poll.

And the level of trust across member states as a whole has fallen by seven points since the last survey in autumn 2001. The poll showed that French support for the EU had slipped to 47 - six points below the average across the 15-strong bloc. Some 28 of the public view the Union as neither good nor bad.

The latest figures, conducted between 29 March and 1 May, are seen by the pollsters as a return to 'normality' in most cases after a surge in support for the EU last autumn following the events of 11 September. Backing for a common security and defence policy remains high (71), while enlargement is supported by 50 of the EU public (down one percentage point on last time).

The European Parliament is still the institution that is best known (89) and most trusted by the public (54). The level of trust in the European Commission stands at 47, down three points and only seven points higher than at the time of the resignation of the Santer Commission in 1999.

The European Convention figures for the first time in the poll, but its members may be disappointed to find that 64 had never heard of the forum which is examining how the EU can better connect with its citizens.

Only 32 of French respondents were aware of the body led by the country's former president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

Support for EU membership in France has fallen to its lowest level since 1973, according to the latest Eurobarometer poll.

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/public_opinion/ http://ec.europa.eu/comm/public_opinion/

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