These conclusions are included in the Rural Barometer just released by the Governmental Strategy Agency. The survey consisted in a questionnaire for 1,511 people who live in the country and the error rate is 2,52%. According to this research, the main things Romanian peasants take interest in after the accession to the EU are the conditions for cultivating lands (23,5%) and breeding animals (11,9%), together with the production of and trading in animal products (10,3%). But it is to be noticed that most of the people interviewed (35,7%) say they take interest on nothing. As for the beneficiaries of EU funds, they are very few. Only 0,5% admit they got financing from the EU before January 1, 2007, whereas 96,5% have never got one penny or they just don't answer this question. 78,1% of them claim they are not interested in accessing EU funds at present or next year. Dissatisfied with the condition of roads The conditions of roads are the main reason why almost a half of Romanian peasents are dissatisfied and there are also difficulties such as the cleaning of garbage. On the other hand, when asked if in the last year they did something together with more villagers to do some community work, such as cleaning the ditches, only 18% give positive answers. 90% never go to the movies or theatre In most households there is a working refrigerator and almost half of the peasants interviewed own mobile phones. But only 25% of them have got toilets in their homes and only 15,5% own a computer. The main source of information in the countryside is TV. 82,4% of the peasants turn it on each and every day. 45% of peasants read no newspapers at all and 90% never go to the movies, the theatre or other performances. The most trusted people in Romanian villages continue to be the priests (82,8%), together with the doctors (80,5%) and the schoolmasters and teachers (66,1%). The least trusted categories are the local councilors and the agriculture associations, enjoying no trust at all.

Ovidiu BANCHES