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The Eurobarometer survey found that trust in Brussels is below the European average in 11 out of 12 of the regions of the UK, with only London – barely – surpassing the average.
The authoritative findings – the first time the Eurobarometer survey has polled public opinion on the subject since 2012 – comes ahead of the British referendum on exiting the EU, due to be held before the end of 2017.
Both the rival ‘leave’ and ‘stay’ campaigns have launched in Britain, with Prime Minister David Cameron due to submit his formal, written, list of demands for a renegotiation of the UK’s membership next month, ahead of a summit in December.
The Eurobarometer poll finds that the average trust in the EU across the 12 UK regions was just 33%, lower than in every other EU member state bar the Czech Republic.
Even that average was only helped by the outlier of London, where trust in the EU was 43% - one percent higher than the EU average.
Curiously, trust in the EU in Scotland was at 37% - the third highest after London, but hardly the resounding vote of faith in Brussels that political commentators have speculated would prompt a second Scottish independence referendum if Britain left the EU.
The poll, of some 62,511 citizens across the 209 regions and 28 member states of the EU, was carried out through September, and fills some 162 pages. The full report was unveiled last week at a conference organised by the Committee of the Regions, for government and EU communications specialists.