Flash Eurobarometer 263 (The Internal Market: Awareness - Perceptions - Impacts)

Internal market policy.<br>Topics: 1. Attitudes towards the internal market in the EU: associations with the term ´Internal Market of the European Union´; attitude towards selected statements on the internal market: strengthens European member states in competition with the USA, Japan and China, provides for more jobs in the EU, has increased standard of living, ensures fair competition, provides for bigger choice of products, is only for the benefit of big companies, is a threat to national identity, worsens working conditions, lowers national standards for consumer protection, leads to lower prices within the EU, tackles climate change, consists of too many different countries, ensures the care of people in need, can limit negative effects of the financial crises, helps better facing situations like recent gas crises, has flooded own country with cheap labour.

2. Free movement of persons: own experience with working in another EU country; considerations to work in another EU country; most important obstacles; knowledge test: permission for medical personnel to practice their profession in other EU member states; personal importance of international working experience when using the service of a hairdresser; use of the services of a hairdresser with working experience in another EU member state; importance of a national qualification when using the service of a doctor; use of the services of a doctor with a qualification obtained in another EU member state.

3. Free movement of goods and services: knowledge test: possibility to hire a company based in another EU member state for construction and renovation work in the own country; attitude towards a company from another EU member state opening a factory in the own region: will create jobs for people in the own region, will create jobs for people from another region, will create wealth and economic growth in the own region, will lead to higher wages, will increase competition; attitude towards a company from the own region opening a factory in another EU member state: will decrease job security in the own region, will create wealth and economic growth in the own region, will lead to lower wages, will lead to more unemployment, will strengthen the position of the company; development in choice of products in: pharmacies, clothing retain stores, supermarkets, electronics shops.

4. Intellectual property rights: awareness of common EU rules and laws against counterfeiting and piracy; unwilling purchase of counterfeit product; kind of product; acceptability to buy counterfeit product in case of: price of original is too high, concerns luxury products, original product is not available, quality does not matter; attitude towards selected statements on counterfeit products: have same quality as the original, pose a threat to health, support child labour and illegal trafficking, ruin businesses and jobs, hamper innovation, support economy in countries of production.

5. Public procurement: most important deciding factors with regard to awarding contracts; approval to accept more expensive offers as long as the following aspects are taken into account: environmental aspects, social aspects, favour medium and small companies, winning company is established in the own country, winning company employs local people; awareness of common EU rules with regard to awarding contracts for the following public authorities: national governments, local authorities; impact of common EU rules on the fight against favouritism and corruption; attitude towards the possibility for national companies to compete for public contracts in other EU member states.

Demography: sex; age; age at end of education; occupation; professional position; type of community.

Additionally coded was: respondent ID; interviewer ID; language of the interview; country; date of interview; time of the beginning of the interview; duration of the interview; type of phone line; call history; region; weighting factor.