Attitudes of opinion leaders from the five largest new member states on business, health, and the environment

Transcription

1 Attitudes of opinion leaders from the five largest new member states on business, health, and the environment

2 In May 2004, Hill & Knowlton and IRB Europe carried out a survey on the attitudes of opinion leaders from the new Member States on a range of environment, health, and business policy issues. Business leaders, journalists, academics, NGO representatives and government officials from the five largest new Member States, namely Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Lithuania, were individually asked a series of over 40 questions. This report is an executive summary of the survey findings.

3 ENVIRONMENT When asked about which environmental issues caused them most concern, most interviewees singled out industrial pollution and waste. As the Hungarian weekly Heti Valasz says, Under Communism, the important thing was economic efficiency, even if it meant pollution; this explains the mentalities and behaviours of today, which have to be changed. EU Agenda EU regulation of environmental affairs is seen as a great opportunity by 87% of those interviewed. Many cited better environmental protection, better law enforcement, increased financing and investment, and industrial development as potential benefits of the EU s environmental agenda: The European Union is like a motor which drives us to make changes in order to ameliorate the state of environmental protection. The EU and the EEA are leaders in this field Czech Ministry of the Environment Despite limited knowledge of specific initiatives at European level, support for legislation including REACH, Eco Design, and Emissions Trading was virtually universal. In light of this support, the opinion of over half of the respondents that such legislation is a threat to industry overall, though not to specific fields such as electronics, was perhaps surprising, but shows that in the short term at least there will be a price to pay. Packaging Those interviewed indicated a strong preference for returnable packaging material such as glass, followed by a support for recyclable packaging such as PET. Over 80% believe that companies

4 should be encouraged to use ecological packaging for their products. Furthermore, nearly half of those interviewed think it a good idea for consumers to pay deposits on all packaging in order to encourage recycling, while virtually everyone said that at least one form of packaging should have a deposit on it. I support collection schemes, but I also want to get something out of them I want at least a part of my money back. Wprost, Polish Weekly Recycling Although only 67% of those interviewed see recycling as solely the consumer s responsibility, there does seem to be universal support among respondents for collection schemes. The principle of co-responsibility must be established, creating a system where the citizen has the choice to recycle. It s not just about passing laws, it s also about implementing them realistically the goal, the means, and the reasons for recycling should be made clear. The role of the state would not be to verify that everyone recycles, but simply to make sure that the necessary conditions to do so are in place. Drinks Company, Slovakia While such collection schemes seem to be widely in place across the new Member States, many opinion leaders indicated that these are not always properly enforced, and that people need to be made aware of their necessity.

5 PUBLIC HEALTH The proper functioning of the public health service is perceived as the primary public health concern in the new Member States. Only one in three respondents expect the general healthcare situation to improve within the first five years of EU membership, and none of the Polish interviewees see such a shortterm improvement. Cancer and heart-related diseases are thought to be the most pressing health issues. Obesity Despite the Czech Republic s record of having the second highest obesity rate in Europe, only about half of the interviewed opinion leaders view obesity as a problem, and only one third are aware of the existence of obesity-combating initiatives in their countries or at EU level. A representative of the Slovakian Ministry of Health is not worried: Compared to the USA, we have nothing to be concerned about, although it s always a good idea to be careful and provide people with relevant information. The elderly need to know about well-balanced nutrition and teenagers should be made aware of the problems associated with fast food. On the whole, however, obesity is not a problem for us. Fat is seen as the dominant weight increaser, while the effect of salt on body weight is thought to be negligible.

6 GMOs The majority of opinion leaders from the new Member States (67%) do not think that consumers in their countries are worried about GMOs. According to a representative of the Lithuanian Journalists Union, There are certain periods when the press escalates the question, but normally people don t lose sleep over GMOs. While virtually no one accepts GMOs unconditionally, six out of ten respondents believe that GMOs can be a positive development if controlled properly. Food Fortification A good majority of respondents considered that they are aware of fortified foods and their benefits. However, the associations with fortified foods are very diverse only 36% associate cereals with food fortification, for example, while the majority of respondents think of soft drinks as the main example of fortified foods. When asked about this issue, a member of the Lithuanian Doctors Union simply declared that Fortified food is declared to be positive for health. Furthermore, while nutritional information on food packaging is seen as useful by 80% of respondents, less than 60% believe that such information is accurate. 57% of those interviewed are of the opinion that the consumption of food supplements is well accepted and widespread in the new Member States. Alcohol Excessive alcohol consumption is viewed as a problem by 70% of respondents. But, curiously, the Poles do not think that their situation is different from anywhere else. While 65% of those

7 interviewed do not think the situation is improving, an equal number believe that the existing bar and restaurant licensing controls in their countries are appropriate. Opinions on drink taxation vary widely, as demonstrated by the following quotes and graph: I would prefer to see single EU excise and VAT rates charged; but this won t happen for a long time, so a harmonisation of prices should be encouraged in the meantime. Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Trade Each country has its own drinking traditions. Uniform taxes wouldn t take into account the variety of cultures. Baltic News Service EU MEMBERSHIP AND BUSINESS Only 1 in 5 opinion leaders from the new Member States believes that the Lisbon objective of making the EU the most competitive knowledge based economy by 2010 is realisable. The [Lisbon] strategy was very beautiful in its aims, it looked very convincing, but the reality is different and the development cannot be carried out on paper. It s not a matter of making a declaration - to promote such a strategy you should invest, not sign a paper. Newsweek Polska, Polish Weekly

8 Overall Benefits to Business Although 6 out of 10 of those interviewed expect an increase in bureaucracy after Enlargement, over 90% believe that business will benefit in some way, particularly in terms of competitiveness. As a representative of a Lithuanian health products company says, there will be investment, jobs will be created, the market will expand, and the working culture of the industries will improve. We will learn how to work according to EU standards instead of merely copying them. However, some sectors are expected to benefit more than others. Opinion leaders are split on the length of time it will take for benefits to materialise, but most believe it will be medium to long term. Liberalisation and Privatisation 80% of those interviewed expect joining the EU to help liberalise services, and a similar amount think that change resulting in privatisation will improve the condition of these services. The transport sector is seen to be in need of most improvement, followed by the energy sector. The impact of Enlargement Respondents were asked whether they thought a given issue would get better or worse with Enlargement. On the positive side, consumer protection, access to information about food, and food

9 safety are the three issues expected to improve by most (80%) of those interviewed. Relatively few respondents thought consumer purchasing power would improve, and a striking 30% think that it will actually decline with Enlargement. There were also worries about jobs and the declining quality of public services. printed on chlorine-free paper

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