Report: 52% of Georgians have positive view of EU

Every second Georgian feels positive about the European Union (EU), finds the latest ‘EU NEIGHBOURS east’ annual survey of 2016.

The report showed the majority of Georgian citizens - 52 percent - had a positive view of the EU, 32 percent had a neutral image and eight percent had a negative attitude towards the EU.

Meanwhile, nine percent of Georgian citizens said they do not know or had never heard of the EU, said the report.

When asked "how do you describe relations between the EU and your country”, three out of four of Georgians (75 percent) perceived them as good.

The report also found 60 percent were well aware of the EU's financial support for Georgia, and 59 percent of people said this support was effective.

The survey was conducted between April and June 2016 in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to assess general perceptions about the EU, the values with which it is associated, and EU relations with Eastern Neighbourhood countries. It also looked at awareness and effectiveness of EU financial support and the preferred sources of information.

In general almost half of all citizens (45 percent) in Eastern Neighbourhood countries had a positive image of the EU, compared to just over one in ten who had a negative perception, while 63 percent believed EU relations with their country were good.

As a part of the EU-funded OPEN Neighbourhood Programme, the ‘EU NEIGHBOURS east’ project aimed to increase understanding of EU support in the Eastern Partnership countries through improved communication.