Press Conference
Biotechnology and GMOs in Europe:
Results of Eurobarometer 2000

Paris - April 27, 2000

Changes in European Attitudes Towards
Genetically Modified Organisms

Daniel BOY, Centre d'étude de la vie politique française
(Center for the Study of French Political Life, CEVIPOF, CNRS-FNSP)

In recent years, the authorities in Brussels have given a team of European researchers the task of gauging European attitudes towards biotechnology. The first major survey took place during the winter of 1996-1997 as part of the Eurobarometer study, a survey based on opinion polls conducted in the fifteen member states of the European Union. Comparisons were also made, using the same questionnaire, with other European countries (such as Norway and Switzerland), as well as with North America (the United States and Canada).

During the winter 1999-2000, a second survey on attitudes towards biotechnology was conducted within the European Union. The new questionnaire had two aspects: on the one hand, questions that were identical to the first questionnaire, which made it possible to observe the changes in people's attitudes over a four-year period, and, on the other, new questions that enabled the team to further their analysis of European attitudes.

In terms of changes in attitudes, three major conclusions can be drawn:

1. Within the countries of the European Union, attitudes towards science and technology have, in recent years (1997-2000), remained remarkably stable, except in the field of biotechnology.

Given the extent of the debate on GMOs, it was not unexpected to find that Europeans are more distrustful today than four years ago when it comes to biotechnology. What was less predictable was knowing to what degree this potential lack of trust concerned all applications of science and technology, or only the field of biotechnology.
Table 1: I am going to give you a number of areas in which new technology is currently being developed. In each case, I would like you to tell me whether you believe that, in the course of the next 20 years, this will make our lives better, whether it will have no effect or whether it will make things worse.

Computer science	Improve	No effect	Worsen	DK
1997	76	9	8	6
2000	79	10	5	7

Biotechnology	Improve	No effect	Worsen	DK
1997	47	10	19	24
2000	41	10	23	26

Telecommunicatio	Improve	No effect	Worsen	DK
1997	81	10	3	5
2000	81	11	3	5

New materials	Improve	No effect	Worsen	DK
1997	64	13	6	17
2000	63	14	6	17

Space exploration	Improve	No effect	Worsen	DK
1997	49	29	7	14
2000	50	27	7	15

In five areas tested (solar energy, computer science, telecommunications, new materials and space exploration - each with a highly variable degree of acceptability), it can be seen that attitudes have hardly changed at all. With biotechnology, on the other hand, positive attitudes have dropped by 6 points. The decrease is relatively slight, all things considered, but it should be remembered that this was the first question in the poll and that the subject is addressed in relatively abstract terms.

2. The increase in the distrust of biotechnology remains essentially the same, regardless of the application considered (food, medicine etc.) and regardless of what aspect is considered (usefulness, risk, or moral acceptability).

In both surveys, a list of biotechnology applications was shown to the people questioned. For each application, the interviewee was asked to give his or her opinion according to the following criteria: whether it was useful or risky, morally acceptable, and if the application in question should be encouraged.

Table 2:

In terms of perceived usefulness, the drop is more or less identical for the four applications considered (from -11 for GM food to -14 for making plants resistant). The perception of risk has not changed significantly. “Moral” acceptability has also dropped in relatively close proportions (from -11 for genetic testing to -15 for modified plants). Finally, the decrease in agreement with encouraging the development of this kind of technology is also at a similar level for the four applications (from -12 for genetic testing to -16 for modified plants).

3. Increasing concern about biotechnology is felt especially in southern European countries. During the first opinion poll, these countries frequently had a more positive attitude than those in northern Europe.

If we now look at the tendency to accept that biotechnology should be encouraged, for example in food production, the following trends can be observed:

• In the countries which were relatively hostile in 1997, Germany for example, attitudes have changed very little.
  
  
• In France, the drop in confidence is more or less in line with the European average, i.e., a drop of 14 percentage points (in terms of ‘Agree’).
  
  
• In southern European countries, the drop in support for GMOs is spectacular, although it is above all the ‘Don’t know’ responses that have increased in the same proportions as the decline in positive responses (Portugal, for example). This trend is interesting as it indicates that these countries, which were more in favor than countries in the north of Europe, are now uncertain in their attitude.
  
  
• Finally, the case of Great-Britain is similar to what can be seen in southern Europe: there has been a dramatic drop in support and ‘Don’t know’ responses have risen considerably. This very particular trend can probably be explained by the intensity of the debate on this subject in this country.

Table 3: % of interviewees agreeing or not to “encourage the use of modern biotechnology in food production” in 1997 and 2000 in four European Union countries

Germany
	Agree	Disagree	DK
1997	40	47	13
2000	36	52	12
Variation 1997-2000	-4	+5	-1

France
	Agree	Disagree	DK
1997	39	51	10
2000	25	63	12
Variation 1997-2000	-14	+12	+2

Portugal
	Agree	Disagree	DK
1997	55	33	11
2000	23	26	50
Variation 1997-2000	-32	-7	+39

GB
	Agree	Disagree	DK
1997	45	41	14
2000	25	42	33
Variation 1997-2000	-20	+1	+19

• List of Speakers at the Press Conference
• Biotechnology and the European Public: Research on a European Scale
• The Press, GMOs, and Biotechnology
• GMOs, Policies, and the Law

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