Letter to the Editor: Building on the UK’s active engagement in Europe

From Mr Roland Rudd

Sir, The continuing rows over protectionism, highlighted at the European Council meeting in Brussels last week, offer several instructive lessons. The first is the importance and relevance of the European Union, a point often glossed over by those who refuse to see anything positive in pan-European co-operation. It is through the structure of the Commission that the efforts by some national governments to block reform and liberalisation can be tackled.

If ever the EU wanted to demonstrate its fundamental importance today, it should point to its powers to bring infringement proceedings and take robust action against culpable national governments should they refuse to abide by the nationality-blind competition regime they have all signed up to. Furthermore, the UK government has a definite role in applying pressure on the Commission to address cases of anti-competitive behaviour. The UK business community, which has seen some of the UK's leading companies transfer to foreign ownership because of the openness of our market, expects other European markets to be as open as that of the UK.

It is to facilitate the UK business community's positive engagement on Europe that we are launching Business for New Europe today, on the 20th anniversary of the First Reading of the Single European Act through parliament, which paved the way for the European single market. We will be supporting the UK's active engagement in Europe, and a reformed, enlarged and free-market EU. A Yougov poll that we have carried out points to strong support for continued liberalisation of EU markets and for the enlargement efforts that have taken place.

Against the backdrop of current protectionist tendencies, it is more important than ever that we uphold the principles of the single market and continue to argue for its strengthening and expansion.

Roland Rudd,
Chairman,
Business for New Europe,
London EC2P 2YS