Europeans continue to support economic co-ordination between Member States and seven of every ten respondents see stricter policing of the financial industry as the best way of avoiding a further crisis. These were two of the findings of a second European Parliament survey on the economic crisis, which was carried out by TNS Sofres between August and September this year.

In comparison to the earlier survey, the numbers holding the view that Parliament should make tackling poverty and social exclusion its first priority increased markedly.

The publication of the opinion poll results comes on the eve of a plenary session in which MEPs are expected to adopt positions on ways to move ahead with dealing with the crisis and more specifically on improving economic governance in the EU, and also the use of minimum income standards in combating poverty and social exclusion.

A few weeks before discussions between Member States and MEPs begin on shaping new legislation to substantially improve the EU's economic co-ordination systems, 63 per cent of the survey's respondents see the establishment of an economic governance system as an effective tool whereas 67 per cent supported the creation of a permanent European monetary fund. Finally, 52 per cent of respondents felt that EU Member States acting in concert led to more economic security - 9 percentage points lower than in the previous survey.