More than a third of Serbians have a positive view of the European Union while about a quarter think of it as negative, the Beta news agency said on Tuesday citing Eurobarometer data.

According to the latest poll ordered by the European Commission, 37 percent of the citizens of Serbia see the EU as something positive while 27 percent perceive it as negative. The poll also showed that 34 percent have a neutral view of the EU.

The poll showed a drop in positive views of five percentage points compared to earlier polls and a five percentage point rise in negative views compared to last autumn’s poll. Based on age, 51 percent of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 see the EU as positive along with 29 percent of the population over the age of 55.

Forty percent of the polled said they see the EU as something that allows them freedom to travel, study and work, 29 percent said they think of it in terms of economic prosperity and 25 percent cited a loss of cultural identity.

According to the poll, 52 percent of Serbians see their personal financial situation as bad, compared to 26 percent in the EU. It showed that 39 percent of the polled in Serbia expect the economic situation to remain unchanged, 36 percent it to improve and 22 percent said they expect it to deteriorate. Thirty six percent said unemployment is a major problem, 33 percent said the economic situation, 25 percent said crime and 21 percent said rising prices.

Asked about trust in institutions, 35 percent said they trust parliament, 41 percent said the government and 33 percent said the EU.