These surveys are the fruit of a unique program of cross-national and cross-temporal social science research. The effort began in early 1970, when the Commission of the European Communities sponsored simultaneous surveys of the publics of the European Community. These surveys were designed to measure public awareness of, and attitudes toward, the Common Market and other European Community institutions, in complimentary fashion. They also probed into the goals given top priority for one's own nation. These concerns have remained a central part of the European Community's research efforts--which were carried forward with another six-nation survey in the Summer of 1971 that gave special attention to agricultural problems. These themes were of central interest again in a survey of the publics of the European Community countries--now nine in number--carried out in September, 1973. At this point the surveys took on a somewhat broader scope in content as well as in geographical coverage, with measures of subjective satisfaction and the perceived quality of life becoming a standard feature of the European Community public opinion surveys.

In 1974, the Commission of the European Communities launched the Euro-Barometer series of the surveys, designed to provide a regular monitoring of the social and political attitudes of the publics of the nine member-nations, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, and Luxembourg. These Euro-Barometers are carried out in the Spring and Fall of each year. In addition to obtaining regular readings of support for European integration and the perceived quality of life, each of the Euro-Barometers have explored a variety of special topics. In addition, attitudes toward the organization and role of the European Parliament have been explored in each Euro-Barometer beginning with number 7 in the Spring of 1977. Starting with Barometer 14, Greece joined the other nine countries in which these surveys are carried out. This entire series of public opinion surveys has been carried out under the direction of Jacques-Rene Rabier, Special Advisor to the Commission of the European Communities. Helene Riffault, of Faits et Opinions, was responsible for cross-national coordination of the fieldwork. Ronald Inglehart of The University of Michigan collaborated with them in design and analysis of the surveys, and in helping make the resulting data available to the social science community through ICPSR.