This week, the European Commission introduced the annual Social Situation Report and the first Special Eurobarometer Social Climate Survey. The latter concerns the subjective well-being of European citizens. The survey examines long-term social trends within the EU in more detail to obtain current, reliable and comprehensive information on the social situation. It is a shame though that the report uses data from 2006/2007, hence long before the outbreak of the financial and economic crisis. The survey is based on data collected in 2009.

Social Situation Report: the key issues were housing and the possible impact of the recession

According to the study, Europeans, on average, spent a fifth of their available income on housing. Rent and mortgage payments account for only 30 % of the entire housing costs within the EU – the remaining 70 % are spent on repairs, maintenance and heating costs. Following the privatisation of housing, most people living in central and eastern European EU Member States now own their own homes, so that costs for repairs, maintenance and heating account for around 90 % of the entire housing costs. A fact, which, during an economic and employment crisis, has a particular detrimental effect on people on low or no income. The Report finds that many Europeans declare to live in accommodation, which does not meet average requirements and that more people on low income mention a problematic housing situation. The report also includes the statement that the crisis is not over yet and that unemployment figures have not yet reached their peak. The impending consolidations of public sector budgets and the social impacts associated with that were also addressed, in particular in connection with cuts of social or public services.

Special Eurobarometer Survey: as regards economics, public services and social policy the Europeans are dissatisfied with their personal situation

According to the Eurobarometer Survey, most Europeans are satisfied with their life in general (a score of +3.2 on a scale from ‑10 to +10). There are, however, big differences between individual Member States: the highest level of satisfaction was reported in Denmark (+8.0), with Sweden, the Netherlands and Finland also stating high levels. The lowest factor of satisfaction can be found in Bulgaria (‑1.9), followed by Hungary, Greece and Rumania. Poverty was another important issue addressed by the survey. According to the published Eurobarometer Survey, 73 % of the EU citizens stated that poverty was widespread in their country. In Austria, 53 % shared this estimation, whereas 44 % disagreed. 84 % of the respondents in the EU stated that poverty in their homeland had increased over the past three years. In Austria, three quarters share this opinion. Vladimír Špidla, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, emphasised that the well-being of the people would also be guaranteed in future. The Commission would commit to this issue in its future Europe 2020 Strategy.

Further information:

Social Situation Report of the Commission

Special Eurobarometer Social Climate Survey