Special Eurobarometer on the EU's home affairs

Special Eurobarometer on the EU’s home affairs

A special Eurobarometer survey was conducted in December 2011 at the request of the Directorate-General Home Affairs.  In total 26,693 European citizens were interviewed for the survey. The final chapter of the study examines Europeans’ perceptions of public security. Three particularly relevant findings of this chapter are:

• Europeans are more likely to feel safer in their local neighbourhood or town than in their country or the EU overall.
• Opinion on whether the fight against terrorism and organised crime has restricted fundamental rights and freedoms in the EU is divided. Just under half (48%) of Europeans think fundamental rights and freedoms have been restricted in the EU because of the fight against terrorism and organised crime, with most saying “yes, to some extent” (38%), and only a small minority (10%) saying “yes, a great deal”. A slightly smaller proportion of Europeans (44%) do not think fundamental rights and freedoms have been restricted, with most saying “no, not really” (31%).
• Most Europeans think EU institutions and Member State governments should work more closely together, and that the EU should increase financial support  to Member States to tackle terrorism and organised crime. Opinion is more divided on whether the EU should provide financial and practical aid to non-EU countries and on whether Member States are capable of countering the threats  on their own.