Flash Eurobarometer 423/422 CITIZENS’ AWARENESS AND PERCEPTIONS OF EU REGIONAL POLICY/CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION IN THE EU Survey requested by the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and co-ordinated by the Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM "Strategy, Corporate Communication Actions and Eurobarometer" Unit).

FLASH EUROBAROMETER Survey conducted by telephone (fixed-line and mobile phone) - Fieldwork: 24th to 26th of June Population: General public Coverage: 28 Member States of the EU -Number of interviews: 28,048 (n=1000 respondents in all Member States) Methodology 2 FLASH EUROBAROMETER 422 -Survey conducted by telephone telephone (fixed-line and mobile phone); -Fieldwork: 10th – 30th of June 2015; -Population: representative sample of population 15+ in regions covered by Interreg cross-border cooperation programmes; -Coverage: 28 Member States of the EU + Norway and Switzerland; -Number of interviews: 40,619 Both surveys were carried out for the European Commission, requested by the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and coordinated by the Directorate-General for Communication - "Strategy, Corporate Communication Actions and Eurobarometer" Unit

I. PERCEPTIONS OF THE REGIONAL POLICY 3

Awareness of EU co-financed projects ranged from 9% among those surveyed in the UK to 76% of those polled in Poland 4 Base: all respondents (N=28,048)

TV remained the main source of information about EU co-financed projects, with local and regional newspapers also important 5 Base: respondents who have heard about EU co-financed projects (N=9,568)

Despite country differences, in all but one country (IT) at least two thirds (66%) had a positive impression of the impact of projects 6 Base: respondents who have heard about EU co-financed projects (N=9,568)

In the general EU28 population, 21% are aware of cooperation between regions because of regional funding 7 Base: all respondents (N=28,048) Latvia (54%) and Malta (48%) stood out with a higher level of awareness of cooperation between regions

31% of people living in cross-border areas are aware of EU funded cross-border activities in their region- Awareness is generally highest in Central/Eastern European countries and in Ireland 8

Awareness of EU funded cross-border cooperation activities: Highest and lowest results at an overall programme level 9 Average results: Total ‘Yes’ (31%)

The majority of respondents (53%) thought that the EU should invest in all its regions, an opinion that is steadily gaining ground since Base: all respondents (N=28,048)

A vast majority (72%) thought regions with high unemployment should be targeted for investments under EU regional policy 11 Base: all respondents (N=28,048)

II. Crossing borders 12

Over one in two respondents (52%) has travelled to other EU Member States that border their country, 76% of those living in the cross-border regions 13 Base: all respondents (N=28,048) TO COMPARE WITH OTHER SURVEY General population Borders programs population

Respondents living in the border regions covered by Interreg cross- border cooperation programmes in Scandinavian and Central European countries are generally more likely to travel abroad 14

The majority of people living in EU border regions (53%) have travelled to a neighbouring country covered by an Interreg cross- border cooperation programme running in their region 15 Respondents in Luxembourg, Ireland, and the Netherlands are the most likely to have travelled to a neighbouring country

Three out of four respondents who travelled to bordering EU Member States did so for leisure activities including tourist visits 16 Base: respondents who have travelled to other Member States that border their country in the last 12 months (N=14,348) TO COMPARE WITH OTHER SURVEY

Respondents living in border regions are most likely to travel to a partner country covered by an Interreg cross-border cooperation programme for leisure activities (44%) 17

III. LIVING IN A BORDER REGION: AN OPPORTUNITY? 18

19 Respondents living in regions covered by programs are more likely to think living in a border region is an opportunity, rather than an obstacle (37% vs. 4%)

Language difference is the only issue identified as a problem for cross-border cooperation by at least half the respondents (57%) 20