ComRes/New Direction poll: David Cameron's EU reforms backed by half of bloc's voters

Prime Minister David Cameron's view that the European Union should undergo major reforms has been backed by half of the voters in Europe's biggest economies, according to a survey.

A ComRes/New Direction poll to find out people's attitude across the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Poland, Denmark and Sweden revealed that Europeans are concerned about the current EU system and are demanding major reforms.

The poll found that 58% of French people are demanding reforms in the EU. The voting percentage was 49% in the UK and the Netherlands and 46% in Germany.

Around half of people in the UK, France, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands wanted greater controls on the free movement of people, as proposed by Cameron. Existing rules allow an unlimited number of EU citizens to live and work anywhere in the region.

In addition, the survey showed that only 16% of the UK residents believe they personally benefit from Britain's membership in the EU. About 60% of Britons want the UK to reduce its contribution to the EU budget, while 64% want the EU to have less involvement in UK affairs.

"The poll bears out the urgent need for robust reform of the EU. Only 19% of voters across are satisfied with the EU in its current form and the majority want to see a cut in the EU budget," said Geoffrey Van Orden MEP, President of European think-tank New Direction, commenting on the poll.

"This poll shows there is strong support across the EU, for the approach being taken by Prime Minister David Cameron on EU reform and on changing the 'free movement' rules. What stands out is the need for the British people to have say on their EU membership and only a Conservative government will give them that".

"This poll shows that those calling for EU reform now represent the mainstream view – contrary to what many believe," Andrew Hawkins, from ComRes, said.

"The challenge for the EU is how, given the reluctance of many European leaders, it can meet the demands for change - including in areas such as freedom of movement where resistance to reform is traditionally strong. It is also surprising to find how much David Cameron's call for reform resonates in member states such as France, Netherlands and even Germany."