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EUROPEAN REVIEW

ISSUE 18 - Page 9

Stats and Facts

Survey shows still good support in candidate countries

The first ever Eurobarometer survey held in the countries that want to join the European Union (Candidate Countries - CCs) has shown that support for enlargement is holding up. When asked if membership would be beneficial for their country an average of 59% of those responding said "Yes". This compares with a figure of 49% for the current EU. Romania topped the league with 80% in favour, Latvia and Estonia were joint bottom with only 33% of people answering in the affirmative. Whilst 9 out of 10 respondents had heard about EU enlargement, only 28% say that they are well informed about it. This figure falls to 17% in the case of Estonia which may explain the lack of enthusiasm for accession there.

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EU records trade deficit but €-zone surplus

Provisional trade figures for 2001 show the EU account in deficit by €45.4 billion whilst the euro-zone recorded a €49.6 billion surplus. Of individual Member States the UK's was the worst record: a whopping €61 billion in the red.

Country

EU 15 exports to

EU 15 imports from

Trade Balance

(January - November 2001)

USA

220.4

180.1

+40.3

Switzerland

68.9

55.7

+13.1

Japan

41.2

70.4

-29.2

Poland

32.7

24.4

+8.3

China

27.2

69.8

-41.5

Czech Republic

25.4

23.1

+2.3

Russia

25.0

43.6

-18.6

Norway

24.1

41.7

-17.7

Hungary

22.0

22.4

-0.4

Turkey

18.5

18.7

-0.3

Total exports

Total imports

Trade Balance

(January - November 2001)

Germany

588.9

510.2

+78.7

Ireland

87.6

53.7

+33.8

Netherlands

235.6

213.7

+21.9

Sweden

78.0

64.8

+13.2

Belgium

184.9

172.1

+12.8

Finland

44.3

32.9

+11.4

Italy

246.1

238.5

+7.6

Denmark

53.4

46.4

+6.9

Luxembourg

9.0

12.1

-3.1

France

330.1

333.5

-3.4

Portugal

24.4

38.5

-14.0

Greece

9.1

27.8

-18.8

Spain

113.5

147.3

-33.8

UK

281.5

342.5

-61.0

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