Flash Eurobarometer 306 (The Euro Area, 2010)

Attitude towards the European Union and the implementation of the Euro as currency. Economic situation.

Topics: membership in the European Union is a good thing; having the euro is a good thing for the own country and for Europe; changes in feeling European due to the euro; difficulty to distinguish and handle euro bank notes and specific coins; opinion about the number of existing coins and which euro coin denominations should be removed; conversion from the price in euro to the national currency when it comes to exceptional and common purchases; trips abroad; the euro eases travelling/comparing prices and reduces cross-border banking charges; balance of national budget in 2009; awareness of the “Stability and Growth Pact”; need for reforms to improve economy; successful reforms in other euro area countries put pressure on national government to reform; governments need to save for the ageing of populations; national government should increase taxes to finance economic reforms; national government should reduce expenditures; the EU should play an active role in the reform process in the own country; areas in which most important reforms took place (labor market, health system, pension system, social security system, telecom, gas/electricity, taxation, education systems); affected personally by these reforms; significant effect on the national economy due to reforms; expectations regarding the inflation rate; development of household income since last year and expectations for the current year.

Additional questions for Malta, Cyprus and Slovakia: usefulness of continued dual price displays; prices increased during the changeover period.

Demography: age; sex; age when stopped full-time education; occupation; professional position; type of community.

Additionally coded was: weighting factor.