It covers a series of long term trends, some of which go back to 1962. There are five different types of Eurobarometer polls available. The Continuous Tracking Survey and the Top Decision Makers EB are restricted to service the needs of the President, the College and the Commissioner responsible for Information and Communication. The general expectations of the public at large for 1996 are fairly muted. EU citizens do not expect much change in their personal circumstances from 1995, over half expect their life in general to be much the same and for there to be little improvement in their personal finances.
Employment continues to be a central concern throughout the survey.
Support is higher amongst men and amongst the young. The name finds less support in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Sweden. Public awareness of the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference remains low, nevertheless a number of issues which will be addressed by the IGC receive public support for EU level decision taking, including a common defence and foreign policy. Attitudes to future enlargement of the Union are more nuanced. Awareness of the European Parliament remains higher than all other EU institutions, although awareness figures have dropped in all cases.