A Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2007 shows that the Maltese want their energy cheap, and are more likely than other Europeans to expect its price to rise. But despite our dependency on volatile oil prices, like other Europeans the Maltese are wary of nuclear energy, James Debono discovers
Southern European countries rank low energy prices as a priority for national energy policy – Malta (63%) in particular. Respondents in Cyprus (59%), Greece (57%) and Malta (56%) also consider energy price increases as very likely.
These countries top the graph with the highest shares of respondents who think that guaranteeing low energy prices should be a priority of national energy policy.
Malta (41%) is by far the top-ranking country in terms of respondents mentioning energy as one of the most important issues in their country. Slovakia (28%) and Luxembourg (24%) follow next with about a quarter of citizens ranking energy as an important issue in their country.
Very few Poles, Spaniards and Greeks (4% in each country) express concern about energy.
In the light of these facts, EU citizens appear to be fairly knowledgeable of the energy dependence rate of their country. Cyprus (89%), Latvia (86%) and Malta (84%) have the highest number of respondents indicating that their country is entirely or very much dependent on energy coming from abroad. More specifically, in Cyprus and Malta, 73% and 63% of respondents respectively are aware of the fact that their country is entirely dependent on energy imports.
In 13 countries, the absolute majority considers energy saving to be very important. Cyprus (74%) and Malta (67%) top the rankings.
Considering both countries are entirely dependent on energy imports, and are therefore subject to volatile energy prices, it is quite understandable that using less energy is considered to be crucial in these countries.
Views on nuclear energy The survey shows that a large segment of the Maltese is ignorant of the pros and cons of nuclear energy. But although a majority thinks that nuclear energy ensures lower and more stable prices, most Maltese think that it poses a risk.
Overall, nuclear energy is the type of energy which provokes the most opposition among EU citizens. An absolute majority of citizens in seven countries, including Malta, is opposed to the use of nuclear power in their country. This includes 80% of Austrians, 73% of Greeks, 70% of Cypriots, 65% of Danes, 55% of Estonians and 51% of Maltese.
On the other hand Swedish (41%), Slovakian (37%) and Lithuanian (37%) respondents are most in favour of the use of nuclear power in their country. This is understandable since 70% of energy in Lithuania, 56% in Slovakia and 47% in Sweden is produced by nuclear power.
The surveys show that in contrast to acceptance of renewable and fossil energy sources, those who do not consider reducing energy consumption as important are more favourable to the use of nuclear energy in their country than those who stress the importance of energy saving.
Another survey held in 2006 shows that a large sector of the Maltese population is ignorant of both risks and benefits of nuclear energy. As in most countries, most respondents agree with the statement that nuclear energy helps to limit global warming.
But the low level of agreement levels in some countries, such as Spain (30%), Portugal (33%), Ireland (34%) and Malta (35%), are primarily due to many citizens answering “don’t know” to this question, in contrast with higher disagreement levels.
This could be linked to whether a country has nuclear power plants or not. In southern European countries such as Cyprus (90%), Greece (86%), Portugal (86%) and Malta 86%) the vast majority of citizens do not feel informed about the safety of nuclear power plants which reflects the fact that there are no nuclear power stations in these countries.
A relative majority in 23 countries agrees with the statement that nuclear energy ensures lower and more stable energy prices. Bulgaria tops the ranking with 79% of citizens being of this opinion, followed by Sweden (71%), Lithuania (69%) and Slovakia (68%), all countries that have NPPs in operation. 59% of the Maltese agreed.
But in Luxembourg and Germany a large segment of the population disagrees with this statement (53% and 48% respectively).
But while recognizing some advantages, most Europeans think that nuclear energy is replaceable by renewable sources.
France ranks highest among the countries where respondents tend to believe that nuclear energy is easily replaceable (56%). This result is interesting given that the share of nuclear power in France’s total electricity production is 78,5% (37% of the Maltese could not express an opinion on this issue).
And most Europeans (39%) would like to reduce the share of electricity produced by nuclear power. Almost as many Europeans would like to keep it the same as at present (34%). Only 14% of respondents would increase the share of nuclear energy in the mix of all energy sources.
Countries with no nuclear power stations in operation registered the highest share of citizens who think that the share of nuclear energy should be reduced. These countries included Greece (75%), Luxembourg (61%) and Austria (59%).
In Malta, 34% replied “don’t know”, 33% would like nuclear energy reduced, 14% increased, and 19% want it kept at current levels.
Over half of Europeans think that the risks posed by nuclear energy are greater than the advantages it offers (53%). However, one third see nuclear energy more as an advantageous source of energy than a risk.
A slender majority (54%) of Maltese thinks that it has more disadvantages. Only 26% think that advantages outweigh disadvantages.
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