UK business representatives present joint 'wish list' paper to EU

Major organisations representing more than 135,000 UK small businesses have come together to present a 'wish list' paper, calling on EU leaders to address stifling regulations, at forthcoming small business meetings in Brussels and at the Barcelona summit.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), the Federation of Small Businesses, the Forum of Private Business, the Institute of Directors and smallbusiness|Europe have jointly asked Prime Minister Tony Blair; Jose Maria Aznar, the Spanish Prime Minister; the European Commission and the European Parliament, to 'think small first' when designing policies for European businesses.

The paper sets out the case for small businesses to have:

• better regulation;
• a stronger voice for small firms in Europe;
• a single market that works;
• easier access to finance;
• secure online trading; and,
• an agreement on practical measures to provide a world-class environment in which small firms can thrive.

The paper will be presented to EU Small Firms Ministers at an informal meeting in Brussels today (21/02), including UK and EU decision-makers and members of the UK small business community. It will then be submitted to the Barcelona summit in March.

David Lennan, Director General of the BCC, said: "It is vital that EU leaders at Barcelona re-invigorate the economic reform agenda by ensuring that the pledges of Lisbon and Stockholm are finally translated into action.

"The combination of the general economic downturn, the introduction of the Euro, and the imminent enlargement of the European Union will create risks that will only be managed with a more flexible and integrated market than we have today."

John Peel, a Managing Director who will represent the BCC in Brussels, said: "A growing proportion of new legislation affecting British business originates from Brussels.

"It is vitally important, not just for individual businesses, but also for the success of the single market that the rules are well thought out and cost effective. A first step would be to systematically listen to the needs of small firms when framing legislation.

"There is a growing commitment to better regulation in key parts of the Commission and in some member states, but it needs to extend across the EU and its institutions if we are to see real change."

According to the European Commission, 99 per cent of companies in the EU are small or medium enterprises and account for 53 per cent of total employment in Europe.

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Richard Powell, UKTECH