“Europe wants and needs a strong British partner in the EU”

“The surprisingly clear mandate for forming the next government won by the Conservative party means that the referendum promised for the end of 2017 at the latest on whether Britain should remain a member of the EU is now inevitable. The BDI calls upon the future British government to take up a clear stance advocating remaining within the EU.

Europe wants and needs a strong British partner in the EU. Without Great Britain the European single market would be significantly diminished. That would be fatal at a time when a shift in global economic strengths is already taking place to the detriment of Europe.

It is particularly the case for German industry that cooperation with the United Kingddom is of central importance. At around 126 billion euros, the volume of Anglo-German foreign trade appoximates to around 80 percent of our trade with China. More than ten percent of German direct investment abroad goes to the United Kingdom. The British are also our natural allies when it comes to deepening the European single market, accessing new markets and promoting structural reforms designed to strengthen European competitiveness.”