UK’s contribution to the EU budget

In response to Global Vision’s report suggesting that the UK’s net contribution to the EU budget is set to double, Roland Rudd, Chairman of Business for New Europe said:

“The UK’s increased contribution to the budget is largely due to enlargement of the EU to 27 member states. Enlargement has been good for Britain, the accession states and the EU as a whole. The UK should continue to champion and to support this policy of enlargement.

EU membership brings many economic and business opportunities to the UK. As a result of the single market, foreign investment into Europe has increased by 1500%. We have to pay our share for the stability and prosperity resulting from European cooperation.”

ENDS

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

 2 . 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.  

3. The above statement is issued from the BNE Executive.

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