Europeans growing more disillusioned with EU

Europeans are growing disillusioned with EU membership according to a new poll but support for the euro currency is starting to pick up ahead of its entry into circulation on New Year’s Day.

Only 48% of citizens living in the 15 nation bloc said membership of the EU was a good thing, according to the Eurobarometer poll prepared for the European Commission in April and May.

That number was down 2% from a similar poll taken six months earlier. The Irish were the EU’s biggest supporters with 72% agreeing membership was a good thing. Their British neighbours, as usual, were the most euro-sceptic, with just 29% in favour.

Meanwhile Europeans are starting to warm to the euro, with the survey showing support for the single currency up 4% at 59%.

Support for the euro was the highest in Italy, where 83% of people back the currency. The lowest level was registered in Britain, where only 25% of those asked support it. Britain has yet to adopt the currency, and Prime Minister Tony Blair says he will call a referendum before joining.

Despite the low level, support for the currency in Britain was up 4%.

While welcoming a rise in support of the euro, the European Commission admits it has a lot of work to do to bring the EU closer to its citizens.

‘‘The figures are not particularly inspiring, in fact they have got worse since 1997,’’ said EU spokesman Steve Morris. ‘‘We feel that contributes to a feeling of distance... it’s a worrying factor.’’

EU foreign ministers on Monday acknowledged they had to step up efforts to encourage support for the EU, by stressing the benefits of membership and the EU’s role promoting peace and prosperity.

Support for the European Union in various policy areas where it has powers, like foreign policy and EU expansion continues to be lowest in Britain and other lukewarm supporters of European integration, like Sweden and Denmark all of whom remain outside of the euro.

Support for the euro was the only policy area that enjoyed a rise in support. Backing for the expansion of the EU to eastern Europe dropped to 43%, down 1% from last year. Highest levels of agreement with the expansion were in Greece with 70%, compared with just 33% in Austria.

The poll was based on interviews with 16,000 citizens around the EU.