ATTITUDES TOWARDS INTEGRATION WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION

1
ATTITUDES TOWARDS INTEGRATION WITH THE EUROPEAN
UNION

• PRESENTATION OF QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE
  RESEARCH
• MARCH, 2003

2
RESEARCH DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
CONTENTS
INTEREST IN EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PROCESS
VIEWS ON OUTLOOK FOR FARMING AND BUSINESS
GAINS AND LOSSES IN EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
WHAT WILL CHANGE AFTER ADHERENCE?
INFORMATION NEEDS
REFERENDUM
3
RESEARCH DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
4
RESEARCH DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

• In January and February 2003 the Pentor
  Institute, commissioned by European Integration
  Office, carried out a qualitative and
  quantitative research project on public opinion
  about the European Union.

5
RESEARCH DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

• The qualitative study covered a sample of farmers
  and entrepreneurs, and aimed to defined
• state of knowledge about the EU,
• hope and perceived benefits of Poland joining EU
  structures,
• perceived threats and obstacles.
• The quantitative research part was fielded on a
  representative sample of the general public, and
  aimed to identify
• public acceptance of views expressed by farmers
  and entrepreneurs,
• public interest in integration issues,
• perceptions of loses and befits from integration.
  

6
Qualitative Research

• The study was effected by Focused Group
  Interviews.
• Overall 6 FGI were held on 17 -22.01.2003.

• FARMERS
• Group 1 18.01.2003
• farm up to 5 ha
• Bilgoraj woj. Lubelskie
• Group 2 21.01.2003
• farm 10 - 20 ha
• Ostrów Mazowiecka
• woj. Mazowieckie
• Group 3 22.01.2003
• farm 20 - 50 ha
• Srem, Wielkopolska

7
Qualitative Research

• MSP
• Group 4 17.01.2003
• small firms, under 10 employees
• Lublin
• Group 5 22.01.2003
• small/medium firms 10 - 50 employees
• Poznan
• Group 6 21.01.2003
• medium/larger firms 50 250 employees
• Katowice

8
Quantitative Research

• The Quantitative Research was carried out on
  22-23 February 2003
• sample representative for Poland over 15 year of
  age,
• N 1000.
• Face to face interviews.
• Maximum statistical error for such sample size
  (1000) is 3,2 at 95 confidence interval.

9
INTEREST IN EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PROCESS
10
INTEREST IN INTEGRATIONQualitative Research

• Village dwellers show limited interest in the
  integration process and consider the enthusiasm
  shown by city folk and politicians to be
  unfounded.

TV shows bombastic propaganda, farmers in Spain
dozing under olive trees, and where are we? What
sense does it make?
farmer 10-20 ha, Mazowieckie

• Entrepreneurs and managers expressed the view,
  that Polands entry to the EU will be a fact of
  large importance for Polish firms and were
  greatly interested in the issue.

11
INTEREST IN INTEGRATION Quantitative Research

• The public showed moderate interest in the
  integration process.
• One one third rated this issue as very important
  or important.
• Different attitudes amongst farmers and managers
  is well illustrated by qualitative research.
• Farmers and villagers, compared to the general
  public, rate European integration issues as
  relatively less important,
• Managers and private entrepreneurs attach much
  higher importance to it.

12
On a scale from 1 to 10 please tell me how
important is Polands integration with the EU for
you personally? Average rating
very important
not at all important
N1000
13
INTEREST IN INTEGRATION

• When studying interest in integration we asked
  the respondents how often do they happen to
• talk about integration, 24
• read about it, 23
• follow this issue on TV and radio, 42
• take part in meetings. 1
• the results confirm the thesis, that in early
  2003 interest in integration issues is moderate.
  

2-3 RAZY W TYGODNIU I CZESCIEJ
14
How often do you ...?
N1000
15
INTEREST IN INTEGRATION - FARMERS AND MANAGERS

• managers compared to the rest of the public,
  more often
• talk about the EU,
• read about, and
• watch and listen to programs about it.
• Farmers
• have an above average contact with the EU
  through the radio and TV,
• are much less likely to read about in the press
  or information materials.

16
Intensive and regular interest in integration
problems
53
74
talk with family/ friends about integration
56
48
read press articles/leaflets/information
materials about
84
integration
31
66
78
watch TV/listen to radio programs about
integration
74
0
20
40
60
80
100
farmers
managers
total
N1000
17
BUSINESS OUTLOOK - FARMERS AND ENTREPRENEURS(Qua
litative Research)
18
BUSINESS OUTLOOK - FARMERS
Its better to keep to pensioners on the farm
than 1000 pigs.

• Regardless of segment respondents agreed, that
  Polish agriculture is going through difficult
  times.
• The main problem of agriculture is impossibility
  of rational planning .
• This state of the affairs, in farmers eyes, is
  the result of years of neglect of the Polish
  Government, which has never developed any
  agricultural policy and production planning
  methods.
• Today, as stated in all segments, farming in
  unprofitable, does not support farmers nor give
  them means to expand their farms.
• Low profitability is especially pronounced in
  small farms under 5 ha.

19
BUSINESS OUTLOOK - FARMERS

• Farmers emphasised, that they cannot get loans.
• Some say that bank employees are discriminate
  against farmers, and immediately say no when
  they hear that the loan taker would be a farmer.

I want to buy a straw press and called the store
in Kalinowice and they told me, that they start
at 9,5000 and I can buy it with payment stretched
out to 10 years, but to buy it, Id have to have
minimum 800 zl income, and where am I to get it?
farmers up to 5 ha, Lubelskie
20
POLISH AGRICULTURE - STRENGTHS

• lower usage of fertilisers and herbicides, as
  well as low popularity of preservatives and
  colorants makes Polish produce - in farmers eyes
• much more natural
• healthier
• tastier than comparable EU products.

21
POLISH AGRICULTURE - STRENGTHS
We have that love for the land, the farmer will
not buy bread for himself, but he will feed the
horse. There is nothing like that in the West, we
dont have economics, we have - for lack of
better word - love.
I can see that it doesn't pay, but my heart is in
that farm, it would not be easy for me to give it
up.
My father loves it so much that instead of
resting in retirement, he grabs the buckets and
rushes to work, to take a look at the pigs
feeding, he knows which one has a spot behind the
ear. They are afraid of that, the West, of this
attachment, of this love to the land.
farmer 10-20 ha, Mazowieckie
22
BUSINESS OUTLOOK - ENTREPRENEURS

• Business outlook among entrepreneurs and
  managers was mostly negative.
• The dimmest view was held by small
  entrepreneurs and companies operating exclusively
  on the domestic market, without any contacts with
  foreign partners.
• Medium and lager firms were slightly more
  upbeat, especially exporters and managers of
  local branches of firms with international scale
  of operations.

23
BUSINESS OUTLOOK - ENTREPRENEURS

• the largest problems experienced by
  entrepreneurs are
• illegal competition,
• low demand for goods and services,
• low liquidity
• low availability of investment loans.

24
BUSINESS OUTLOOK - ENETRPRENEOURS

• Entrepreneurs see the legal framework as not
  being favourable for running a business.
• The problems most often mentioned in all groups
  were
• high tax and ZUS rates,
• complicated legal language,
• lack of published materials with unequivocal
  interpretation of laws and regulations.

The very fixed costs, e.g. ZUS, are a large
burden. To make ends meet you really have to
slave away, as top cover the fixed charges, and
if you employ people,e, than the cost is even
higher.
Lublin
25
BUSINESS OUTLOOK
SIZE
FARMERS
MSP
SMALL

• Dramatically bad

• Bad

MEDIUM/ SMALL

• Very bad

• Rather bad

MEDIUM/ LARGE
26
ADAPTATION
SIZE
FARMERS
MSP

• Improving product quality
• new market acquisition
• buying new machines, tools

SMALL
SMALL

• no action to adapt

MEDIUM/ SMALL
MEDIUM/ SMALL

• Modernisation of barns and pigsties
• modern raising methods
• quality norms
• the Union is imposing very strict regulations on
  Poland

• ISO applications
• gaining certificates and improving qualifications
• training staff
• expanding product portfolio

MEDIUM/ LARGE
MEDIUM/ LARGE
27
GAINS AND LOSSES INVOLVED WITH EUROPEAN
INTEGRATION
28
GAINS AND LOSSES - FARMERS (QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH)

• Farmers expect to lose out due to integration,
  and that they will be in economic dire straits.

We have no benefits from the Union, as we will
be absorbed, buried completely .
farmers up to 5 ha, Lubelskie
Nobody cares what will happen to the farmer, his
family, his means of support.
farmers 21 ha and more, Wielkopolska
TV shows bombastic propaganda, farmers in Spain
dozing under olive trees, and where are we? What
sense does it make?
farmer 10-20 ha, Mazowieckie
29
GAINS AND LOSSES - ENTREPRENEURS (QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH)

• Entrepreneurs have both hope and fears connected
  with EU access.
• Fears are found mostly amongst small firms,
  family businesses,
• although these are also felt by larger
  entrepreneurs.

I believe that the EU will make something happen,
that something will start moving, that people
will have more money. When they'll have more
money, that will surely change things around and
not only in my trade,but all over the place.
When I look at the EU I see some clarity there,
some clearer rules, whereas in Poland we swim in
murky waters.
30
LOSSES DUE TO ADHERENCE- Qualitative Research
SIZE
FARMERS
MSP
SMALL

• weakened position on local market
• competition backed by large capital
• Poles being forced out off the markets
• lowered income
• higher unemployment
• higher prices
• higher cost of living

• smaller subsidies to farming
• closures of many farms
• expansion of strong foreign firms
• Speculation in farmland
• no interest in farmers shown by Government
• foreign cultural patterns seeping in (liberalism)

MEDIUM/ SMALL
MEDIUM/ LARGE
31
GAINS DUE TO ADHERENCE- Qualitative Research
SIZE
FARMERS
MSP
SMALL

• unification and simplification of Law
• introduction of clear rules for economic life
• simple loan system
• higher availability of loans
• economic revival
• drop in unemployment
• improved quality of goods and services
• higher living standard
• freedom of travel

• Production
• fruit
• vegetables
• agrotourism

MEDIUM/ SMALL

• alliances, producer groups, large firms
• Production
• milk
• cattle
• eco-food

MEDIUM/ LARGE
32
GAINS AND LOSSES - FROM NATIONAL AND PERSONAL
VIEWPOINT (Quantitative Research)

• Views on the impact for the Country is very
  strongly correlated with the expected effects for
  oneself.

33
Overall, will EU membership bring...?
N1000
34
GAINS AND LOSSES - FROM NATIONAL AND PERSONAL
VIEWPOINT (Quantitative Research)

• Quantitative Research confirmed the findings and
  conclusions from the FGI.
• Farmers and city dwellers (in relation to
  average ratings)
• were more pessimistic as to the effects of
  integration, both from personal and national
  viewpoint.
• Their ratings tended to be extreme as concerns
  effects of integration to themselves.
• managers were more positive as to the effects of
  integration for the sate of the Country.

35
Overall, will EU membership bring more benefits
or loss to you personally? - average rating -
Much more gains than losses
Much more losses than gains
N1000
36
Overall, will EU membership bring more
benefits or loss to Poland as a whole?- average
rating -
Much more gains than losses
Much more losses than gains
N1000
37
GAINS AND LOSSES - ATTITUDE TOWARDS FEARS -
FARMERS AND MANAGERS

• Poles well understand the grounds for farmers
  and managers fears. The accurately mentioned the
  causes which these had given on the qualitative
  stage.
• Higher consistency was observed as concerns
  managers.
• Farmers
• were more drastic about their plight than the
  general public, and accentuated threats much more
  often,
• were less likely to noticed their faults.

38
What makes Polish businessmen be wary of the EU?
N1000
39
What makes Polish farmers be wary of the EU?
N1000
40
GAINS AND LOSSES - WHO LOSES WHO GAINS
Public view of effects of integration

• Gain
• young people,
• educated,
• enterprising,
• political elite

• Lose
• older folks,
• uneducated,
• struggling in market economy conditions

41
Who will gain and who will lose from Polands
joining the EU?
N1000
42
Who will gain and who will lose from Polands
joining the EU?
N1000
43
WHAT WILL CHANGE AFTER ADHESION ?
44
WHAT WILL CHANGE IN YOUR PERSONAL SITUATION?

• Half of the population expects EU membership to
  affect their lives.
• More than half do not expect any positive nor
  negative changes in
• satisfaction with life,
• scope for personal development,
• material situation,
• toughness of job,
• highest hopes scope for personal development
• highest fears heavier work burden

45
Do you expect Polands joining the EU in 14
months time will affect you personally?
N1000
46
How do you imagine your future after joining the
EU?
N1000
47
WHAT WILL CHANGE IN YOUR PERSONAL SITUATION?

• A significant aspect from the viewpoint of
  expected effects of integration of personal
  situation is the time horizon.
• Poles are more optimistic when we ask about a
  distant perspective, 10 years after joining the
  EU, than when we ask about the immediate post
  entry period.
• Work burden even after 10 years there are fears
  related with this issue

48
How do you envision your future after 10 years
of Poland in the EU, i.e. 2014?
Growth in positive expectations
1
11
17
13
N1000
49
WHAT WILL CHANGE IN THE COUNTRYS SITUATION?

• In early 2003 the Polish public was interested
  in ....

50
WHAT WILL CHANGE IN THE COUNTRYS SITUATION?

• Poles expect
• positive changes in the areas they deem to be of
  utmost importance,
• changes for the worse in relative less important
  areas.
• The is one exception the majority fear that
  cost of living will go up after EU entry.

51
INFORMATION NEEDS- QUALITATIVE RESEARCH-
52
FARMERS - INFORMATION NEEDS

• All respondents expressed the need for deeper
  going information about the functioning of
  agriculture in the EU.
• Information needs focused on the demand for
  specifics. The respondents would like to know
  about
• planing production,
• money ,
• problems in farming.

Finances as information go, everything is based
on some kind of percent. A percent of this, a
percent of that, no mention of money as such, so
that a farmer could do his sums how much will he
really get.
farmers 21 ha and more, Wielkopolska
53
ENTREPRENEURS - INFORMATION AND TRAINING NEEDS

• In all groups the respondents declared that they
  do not know enough about what they should do to
  conform with EU membership standards.
• Some declared to have searched for such
  information on their own.
• Such actions did not meet with much success, as
  the scope, depth or form of information did not
  correspond with expectations, or their knowledge
  level.

54
POLAND JOINING EU - INFORMATION AND TRAINING
NEEDS

• Respondents revealed to be in need of
  information about necessary certificates and
  licenses and practical data - how, where can
  these be obtained, what should be done to get
  them.
• They also lack information about
• necessary changes - in organisation, legal
  (Employment Law in particular, Taxes, Corporate
  Law, Trade Law),
• technical norms in vigour in member countries
• modern technology.

55
REFERENDUM
56
REFERENDUM - FARMERS

• Respondents overwhelmingly agreed, that farmers
  are not a group which will particularly gain from
  EU entry, hence the question about referendum
  plans generated highly diverse reactions.

• NO
• (several people in each group)
• Polands joining the EU is bad for Polish
  agriculture
• and for Poland
• the country will become economically
  overwhelmed,
• it will become solely an area for selling EU
  production .

• YES
• (2-3 people per group)
• positive effects for further generations
• the lesser evil.

Many are still undecided.
farmers up to 5 ha, Lubelskie
I havent made up my mind yet, but logically,
looking at Polands location, the market
situation, then generally speaking we have no
other choice. Remaining in the present state and
such economic condition is even worse than
joining the Union.
57
REFERENDUM - ENTREPRENEURS

• A large majority of entrepreneurs declared
  support for EU membership.
• This is based in the hope, that the new
  situation will be better than that at present.
• The yes decision is based upon care for their
  childrens future, the faith, that they will have
  new opportunities open to them, that their life
  standard will improve greatly.

To late for me to benefit from EU,but it will be
a boon for the young generation. I am of an age
at which - as they say - to old for one, to young
for other, but those who are 15 today, will not
have anything to be ashamed about. They will be
European, regardless of here or there, they will
feel equally. We will have to struggle for our
lives.
Poznan
Our life standard will improve. None of us is
deluded that our pensions will be like in
Germany, but I feel that a sense of
stabilisation.
Katowice
58
There will be a referendum on joining the EU in
June. Do you plan to vote?
N1000
59
How do you plan to vote in the referendum?
N752
60
REFERENDUM- WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE DONT JOIN THE
EU
POSSIBLE SCENARIOS

• Likely
• Nothing will happen, things will continue as
  they are now

• Unlikely
• Poland will gradually become a poor and backward
  country by European standards
• We will bind ourselves with the USA, which will
  bring about greater benefits than EU membership
• On our own we will achieve high development
  levels that would be possible as part of EU
• Poland will come under Russian influence

61
What will be Polands fate if it will not join
the EU. How likely is it ...?
N1000
62

• Contact
• Agnieszka Morysinska
• e-mail amorysinska_at_pentor.com.pl
• tel. [phone]