Responding to the Prime Minister’s speech at the Munich Security Conference, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said:
“A reshaped European defence and geopolitical environment can offer opportunities for UK businesses as they push for stronger exports and economic growth.
“So, they will welcome the importance placed on this by the Prime Minister and European leaders at the Munich Security Conference this weekend.
“On defence, this the moment to negotiate as large a role as possible for UK defence companies and supply chain SMEs in the EU’s SAFE facility. Bilateral defence procurement relationships with key partners like the Netherlands, Germany, France and Poland, under our common NATO commitments, can also generate economic growth and a more secure Europe.
“UK defence firms increasingly look across the Channel and North Sea to Europe as our largest export market for defence hardware, systems and know-how. Future orders and growth depend upon boosting the strength of those links now.
“We also need to remove, barriers to trade in a wide range of other sectors with the EU, including automotives, energy, food and drink, and business services. The BCC has made nine recommendations for UK and EU leaders to prioritise, with a focus on economic security, supply chains, business mobility and rules of origin.
“The UK plays a critical role in pan-European supply chains in vital sectors from automotives to climate technologies. This reality must be reflected in the regulatory and investment conditions our businesses face now and in the coming years.
“The future for jobs and investment across many areas of both the UK and EU economies depends upon it.”
More info: https://www.britishchambers.org.uk/news/all-news/
