IS THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMPARABLE ACROSS THE ENLARGED UNION?

• Position: Brief Article

Do you spend enough time with your family? What do you think of social services where you live? Are you happy with your income? How is the public transport in your area? These are some of the questions asked to some 26,000 citizens from the EU and accession and candidate countries as part of a survey trying to measure quality of life. The survey, to be released in May 2004 when ten Central and East European countries join the EU, was carried out by the Dublin-based European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. oWe carried out face to face interviews in all 28 countries and now we are beginning to analyse the datao, said Rob Anderson, Coordinator for the Living Conditions section of the Foundation. Members of Mr Andersons team are now putting together four separate reports on employment and living standards; households and family, care and the community; housing, local environment and public services; quality of life and time for life.

The analysis will of course take into account that the overall well-being of people is culturally relevanto, explained Mr Anderson. oIt will be assessed in terms of outcomes and opportunities but also by how individuals respond to those things.

The quality of life survey is not the only...