The European Commission has appointed TNS to run its Standard Eurobarometer, for the next four years. The contract, which is worth €50m (£33.8 ), will be managed by EOS Gallup Europe, a subsidiary of TNS.

The survey, established by the European Commission to inform its policy making, will measure public opinion on social, economic and political issues across 33 European countries. TNS subsidiary, EOS Gallup Europe, will manage the project.

The survey is expected to look at issues such as the Euro, the possibility of a European constitution and a common foreign policy.

Marita Carballo, head of polling and social research at TNS told Research: “We spent almost four months working on the tender and were up against the six or seven other agencies in the pitch, including Ipsos, GfK and Synovate, so it’s a significant win. It is the largest study of its kind and is an important reference for politicians because it shapes policy making decisions.”