Nine out of ten (88%) EU citizens consider it important for the EU to fund humanitarian aid, an increase of nine percentage points since the last survey in 2010. Nearly the same number (84%) support maintaining humanitarian aid funding in spite of the current economic crisis. In both cases the support is over two thirds in all member states.

The survey confirmed an increasing belief of Europeans that a joint EU action is more efficient than when the member states act individually. Seven out of ten (71%) believe so in the case of humanitarian aid, an increase of 13 percentage points since the last survey.

A coordinated approach in civil protection is also clearly supported; mostly because Europeans prevailingly agree (92%) that not all countries have sufficient national means to deal with major disasters on their own and because there is a widespread recognition (89%) that major disasters can have cross border effects.

There is also important support for the EU humanitarian aid voluntary corps, which is gradually shaping up and should be operational in 2014. A strong majority of respondents (88%) in principle support an initiative which would allow for humanitarian aid volunteers from the EU countries to be selected, trained and deployed to the field.

The Eurobarometer surveys were carried out between February and March 2012. 26.751 respondents in the 27 Member States of the European Union were interviewed face-to-face.

More analytically:

- 88% consider it important for the EU to fund humanitarian aid (79% in 2010). This is a significant increase of nine percentage points since 2010. An increase in support can be noted in all Member States, with the exception of Austria where the approval rate of 68% is the lowest (decreased by 2% since 2010). The strongest support has been recorded in Cyprus (96%). Lithuania recorded the biggest increase (+22%).

- 84% agree that the EU should continue to fund humanitarian aid in spite of the current economic crisis. The strongest support was expressed in Greece (93%), Denmark (92%), Portugal (91%) and Bulgaria (91%). The largest share of respondents opposed was recorded in Belgium (21%) and Austria (19%).

- 71% believe that humanitarian aid provided by the EU is more efficient than when provided by each Member State separately (58% in 2010). The strongest support for a joint approach has been recorded in Spain (84%), Luxembourg (82%) and Cyprus (80%). The lowest in Austria (57%) and Romania (55%). Support for a joint EU approach is over 50% in all Member States.

- 68% are aware that the EU funds humanitarian aid, 30% (18% in 2010) feel well informed. Respondents chose television as their preferred source of information, followed by the internet and the press.

Awareness of the EU funding humanitarian aid is consistent throughout the EU and over 50% in all Member States. It’s at the lowest in Hungary (51%) and Italy (52%) and the highest in Luxembourg (83%) and the Netherlands (80%). 30% also feel well informed, an increase of 12 percentage points since 2010. Television (62%) and the internet (51%) are by far the most favourite information sources, followed by the press (34%) and radio (22%).