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Poll: Europeans give environment top priority
1st April 2003 (ENS)
BRUSSELS, Belgium,
The results of a Eurobarometer survey that tested the attitudes of Europeans towards the environment for the first time in three years show that environmental issues top their list of priority issues.
European Environment Commissioner, Margot Wallström released the results Thursday. When asked to indicate which causes of environmental degradation most worried them, 50 percent of those polled said that nuclear disasters ranked highest on their list of concerns; 45 percent said that industrial disasters most worried them.
The results reflect the views of 16,000 EU citizens who were polled last autumn. The survey focused on key questions, including what citizens believe are the main causes of pollution, how confident they are that things can be put right, and what is the most appropriate level for taking decisions on the environment.
Commenting on the survey results, Commissioner Wallström said, "Europeans clearly see the environment as a top priority and want more action at European level. The views expressed in this survey will of course be taken into account in our future policy initiatives on environment matters."
The Eurobarometer Survey shows that traditionally perceived problems, like air pollution, natural disasters, water pollution and the elimination of tropical rainforests, still preoccupy many Europeans and were quoted by between 41 and 44 percent of respondents.
Concern has moved since the 1999 survey. Greece, which now holds the rotating EU Presidency is now the most concerned member state, while the Netherlands is the least concerned.
On the issue of what can be done, opinions among Europeans are equally divided. Fifty percent of respondents said they believed that their actions could help reverse current environmental trends, while the other 50 percent felt that their actions would make no difference.
However, 65 percent of Europeans said that their actions could have an impact if others were similarly committed to taking action.
When it comes to what course of action should be taken, 48 percent expressed a preference for stricter regulations and tougher enforcement, while 45 percent saw better information, increased environmental awareness and greater involvement in the decision-making process as the best way to achieve results. Forty percent of respondents believed that better enforcement of existing legislation is the key.
View the Eurobarometer survey online
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