Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU
Following the announcement by the European Commission about the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the EU, Business for New Europe has issued the following statement:
”We welcome the expansion of the EU to encompass Bulgaria and Romania. Just two decades ago, these countries were part of the Soviet bloc during the Cold War. Now they are on the verge of joining the EU. This is part of the historic process of reunifying Europe.
Much reform has already taken place in Bulgaria and Romania, and this must continue, particularly given legitimate concerns about organised crime and corruption.
EU enlargement to Eastern and Central Europe has already brought benefits not only to the incoming countries but also the existing member states. It has increased prosperity, trade and investment and given a boost to the economy of the European region."
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
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. BNE’s Advisory Council consists of:
Leon Brittan (Vice Chairman, UBS)
Roger Carr (Chairman, Centrica)
Richard Cousins (CEO, Compass)
Guy Dawson (Founding Partner, Tricorn Partners)
Charles Dunstone (CEO, Carphone Warehouse)
Niall FitzGerald (Chairman, Reuters)
Chris Gibson-Smith (Chairman, London Stock Exchange)
Philip Hampton (Chairman, Sainsbury)
David Levin (CEO, United Business Media)
John Parker (Chairman, National Grid)
Vijay Patel (CEO, Waymade Healthcare)
Stuart Popham (Senior Partner, Clifford Chance)
Mike Rake (Chairman, KPMG International)
Nigel Rudd (Chairman, Boots)
Bryan Sanderson (Chairman, Standard Chartered)
Martin Sorrell (CEO, WPP)
Peter Sutherland (Chairman, BP)
Rosemary Thorne (Finance Director, Ladbrokes)
Christopher Tugendhat (Chairman - European Advisory Board, Lehman Brothers)
Bob Wigley (Chairman - Europe, Middle East & Africa, Merril Lynch)
4. BNE is run on a day-to-day basis by Zaki Cooper (Director), whom is supported by Roland Rudd (Chairman) and Sir Stephen Wall (Vice-Chairman).
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
