Candidate Countries Eurobarometer 2002.1, March-April 2002: Social Situation in the Countries Applying for European Union Membership (ICPSR 29361)

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The Candidate Countries Eurobarometer (CCEB) series, first conducted in 2001, gathers information from the countries applying to become members of the European Union (EU) in a way that allows direct comparison with the standard Eurobarometer series carried out in the existing EU countries. The CCEB provides decision-makers and the European public with opinion data on the similarities and differences between the EU and candidate countries. The CCEB continuously tracks support for EU membership in each country and records changes in attitudes related to European issues in the candidate countries. This round of the CCEB survey was conducted between March 1 and April 5, 2002, in the candidate countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Turkey. The survey first asked respondents three questions in regard to European Union membership. In addition to these questions, respondents were queried on the following major areas of focus: (1) quality of life indicators and life satisfaction, (2) family and children, (3) elderly people, (4) lifestyle and health , (5) access to and quality of social services, (6) household income and standard of living, (7) social protection, inclusion, and exclusion, (8) social and political participation and integration, (9) employment, unemployment, and quality of work, and (10) regional mobility. For the first major area of focus, quality of life indicators and life satisfaction, respondents were questioned about life satisfaction in the past, present, and near future, and particular factors which contribute to or improve their present quality of life. For the second major area of focus, family and children, respondents provided their views in regard to the ideal number of children for a family, decision-making in having a child, age at birth of first child, parental and family roles, and the role of government in improving life for families with children. For the third major area of focus, elderly people, respondents gave their opinion on who should care for elderly persons, as well as who should pay for their care. The survey also asked respondents whether they cared for an individual who has a long-term illness, or who is handicapped or elderly, in-home or outside the home. For the fourth major area of focus, lifestyle and health, respondents were queried about their current lifestyle and whether they had any long-term illness and/or handicap that limits their activities in any way. For the fifth major area of focus, access to and quality of social services, respondents provided feedback about their distance from a particular service or business, their satisfaction with the health and social services in their country, and whether the local or national government, private companies, or associations should provide certain services. For the sixth major area of focus, household income and standard of living, questions asked of respondents included the lowest net monthly income level their household would need in order to make a living, their appraisal of the current household income situation, whether any household member had difficulties in paying the bills, and their ability to save and invest. The survey also queried respondents about their current standard of living, and whether and how they are improving their standard of living. For the seventh major focus, social protection, inclusion, and exclusion, respondents provided their ideas about necessities of the good life, their opinion as to whether they could rely on anyone outside the home for certain problems, and their views on social exclusion, poverty, and the state of the area in which they live within their country. In addition, the respondents were asked about their response to the poor or socially excluded, which entities provide the most help to these individuals versus who should do so, the reasons why people are poor or socially excluded, as well as the extent of social disparities in their country and government's role in reducing these disparities. For the eighth major area of focus, social and political participation and integration, respondents were asked about their participation in social, community, political, and advocacy groups or organizations. For the ninth major area of focus, employment, unemployment, and quality of work, the survey queried respondents about their current and past employment, employment status, and to describe their job. In addition, respondents identified the average hours they worked per week and stressors arising from their current job situation. For the last major area of focus, regional mobility, respondents were asked about moving in the last ten years, including how often, where, and why or why not, the prospects of moving to a different location in the next five years, the factors that would influence relocation, and whether moving would improve job prospects. In addition, the survey queried respondents about their willingness to live in another European country where the language spoken differs from their native language. Demographic variables include age, gender, marital status, age when stopped full-time education, occupation, income, source of household income, main income earner, number of people living in the household, ownership of durable goods, type and surface of area residence, type of community, and region of residence.

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