Business leaders say “Yes” to Europe

In a major new pamphlet, business leaders from a range of different sectors claim that constructive engagement with Europe is important for a variety of reasons.

Business for New Europe’s latest publication called “A Europe we can do business with” includes articles from business leaders in sectors ranging from banking, airlines and telecoms to manufacturing, consultancy and healthcare.

The pamphlet includes contributions from Sir Richard Branson, Arun Sarin, Charles Dunstone, Willie Walsh and Sir Ronald Cohen. Many of the contributors are Chairman of CEOs of FTSE 100 companies.

Roland Rudd, Chairman of Business for New Europe, said:

“The fact that so many prominent business leaders have contributed to our pamphlet should help dispell the myth that business has turned sceptical about the UK’s involvement in the European Union. With the UK’s membership of the euro off the political agenda for the foreseeable future, there are still many business leaders who support the UK’s active engagement in Europe.”

Zaki Cooper, Director of Business for New Europe, said:

“Business in the UK has benefited from positive, irreversible changes  as a result of EU membership. Furthmore, much of the business community recognise that the EU is advancing a reforming and laisez-faire agenda. In addition, in many areas of interest to business, such as energy, the environment, labour mobility the single market, the EU can help to provide the answers for British business.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The pamphlet “A Europe we can do business with” will be available from www.bnegroup.org

2. In the pamphlet, the business leaders are writing in a personal capacity rather than on behalf of a particular business.

3. BNE’s aim is to support the UK’s active engagement in Europe, and a reformed, enlarged and free-market EU.

 4. BNE’s principles are as follows:

• We support the UK’s membership of the EU and oppose withdrawal to the margins; we support positive and constructive engagement with the EU as the only sensible approach and as vital to our national interests.
• We support a vision of a prosperous free-market Europe able to compete in a globalised world.
• We support economic liberalisation and oppose excessive EU regulation, centralisation and red tape.
• We support institutional reform, further cooperation between EU member states where it is in Britain's interests and oppose old-fashioned federalism.  
• We support the enlargement of the EU including Turkey, and recognise the benefits that the recent wave of enlargement have brought.

5. For further information about Business for New Europe, see www.bnegroup.org or contact +44 (0) 207 256 6575, +44 (0) 7787 513 864 press@bnegroup.org