SOCIAL POLICY : OPINION ON EU'S IMPACT DIVIDED.

• Position: Brief article

Only half of Europeans feel that the EU has a beneficial impact on the social and employment policies of their country. According to a new Eurobarometer study, released on 29 November, 52% of Europeans say it has a positive impact on employment policy and 51% on social policy. The most positive countries are Slovakia (74%), followed by Estonia (71%) and Poland (68%). The most negative countries are France (30%), Portugal (35%) and Spain (41%). Greece has the highest proportion of respondents who believe that the EU has a "very positive" impact (24%), while Cyprus has the most respondents who believe it has a "very negative" impact (22%). Respondents also have a gloomy outlook about society as a whole and the chances that the economic crisis will end soon - indeed, 71% of Europeans have a pessimistic view with regard to the...