DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
www.europa.rs

PRESS RELEASE
OPINION POLL “SERBIAN CITIZENS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS SERBIA'S EU INTEGRATION“
Majority of citizens supports Serbia's membership in the European Union, in general, attitude towards the EU is a more positive one, whereas citizens' awareness regarding the EU assistance to Serbia is on the rise, primarily because of better recognition of the assistance provided for May flood relief, showed the latest public opinion poll “Serbian citizens' attitudes towards Serbia's EU integration”.
The poll was conducted by TNS Medium Gallup, from 24-30 September 2014, for the needs of the EU Delegation to Serbia, and showed that 57 percent of Serbian citizens support Serbia's membership in the EU. 
The main reasons are of economic nature: better future, prosperity (42 percent), improved living standard (41 percent) and employability (32 percent). Apart from their worries about the deterioration of living standard, main reasons those against the membership list are pressures and conditioning, poverty increase and worsened living standard, as well as national identity loss.
In general, citizens' attitude towards the European Union is more positive compared to previous surveys: 47 percent said that their attitude is “mostly positive”. In the polls conducted for the needs of the EU Delegation prior to 2014, support had never exceeded 35 percent.
If a referendum on Serbia's accession to the EU were held today, 53 percent of respondents would  voted “in favour”, whereas 28 of them would “opposed” to it. The number of respondents that would not vote in referendum is stable compared to the one of February poll. Encouraged by a better life and the start of negotiations in January 2014, 70 percent of respondents would turn out to vote in such referendum.
Listing preconditions for Serbia's EU accession, majority of respondents (33 percent) say it is recognition of Kosovo's* independence, followed by justice system reform (18 percent), comprehensive reforms (17 percent) and fight against the corruption and crime (14 percent). 
Although 54 percent of population expect new conditions to be imposed by the EU in the process of accession, the number of those who believe the EU will not impose new conditions is on the rise and is now 34 percent (compared to 29 in February).
The dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is supported by 58 percent of Serbian citizens, stable compared to February 2014 poll.
Also, public opinion poll showed that 51 percent of Serbian citizens expect to see Serbia as a EU Member State in approximately ten years, while 22 percent consider this is not likely to ever happen.
Citizens said they wished there was more information on the effect of accession on the economic situation and living standard in Serbia (33 percent), followed by the lives of ordinary people in EU Member States (31 percent), and the information about the EU negotiations with Serbia (28 percent).
According to 62 percent of respondents, agriculture should be the top priority in terms of EU assistance, followed by health (42 percent), and development of impoverished regions (40 percent).
The awareness about European Union's assistance programmes has been raised, primarily because of the recognition of the EU assistance to Serbia during the floods in May. 
More than third of citizens (38 percent) said that, of all international partners, the EU have helped the most to combat the May floods.  When asked to name an international partner that helps the most in reconstruction and flood relief, the highest number of respondents (35 percent) said it was the EU. 
The poll also showed that the citizens of Central West and South East Serbia more often were aware of EU's assistance for flood relief.
In mid-May, when Serbia was hit by devastating floods, European Union offered immediate assistance through its Civil Protection Mechanism and allocated 80 million euros out of its budget that were directed to reconstruction projects in flood-affected municipalities. 
Out of this amount, 30 million euros have been redirected from IPA funds and are already being used via reconstruction Programme, whereas 50 million euros will be at Serbia's disposal in early 2015.
The poll was conducted on a sample of 1.241 adult respondents, through the face-to-face interview.
Contact:
Nadezda Dramicanin, Communication Officer, EU Delegation to Serbia nadezda.dramicanin@eeas.europa.eu, Tel.: +381 (0)11 3083 200
Sladjana Brakus, Executive Director, TNS Medium Gallup 
Slađana.Brakus@tnsmediumgallup.co.rs, Tel.: +381 (0) 11 3613 220  

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* This designation is without is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the International Court of Justice opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence