Since January, survey by BCC is first main test about attitudes of business towards Europe.
The British Chambers of Commerce’s business group says that most of the companies of UK wish to be in Europe, having brought back some powers home.
About 4000 businesses were surveyed by the BBC and 64% responded saying they’d be in favour of making the necessary adjustments in the agreement of UK with EU.
Employment law happened to be on the top of the list regarding which opt outs were required.
However, in the survey it was found that about one out of five, 18%, were in favor of complete secession from Europe.
Five scenarios were tested by the BBC for the future relationship of UK with EU. The respondents were requested their view regarding any potential impact each scenario might have on the economic prospects and business of Britian.
Major focus of the unhappiness in business was the employment law, closely followed by safety law, policies of regional development and health.
Respondents in BCC survey were asked to choose from these five options:
- Complete secession from EU
- The withdrawal from EU and then trade agreement
- Stay in EU having the particular powers transferred from Brussels back to Westminster
- Stay in EU. Integrate with the other states that are member of EU
- Remain in the EU without any change to the relationship at present
The organization of manufacturers, the EEF, told that the government needs to tread in Europe carefully and said,“theywanted to change a clear long-term vision about what was essential of the EU to look like in 20 years’ time and above all, a much better quality consideration about the future of the EU is requisite”.
It was further added, “the attention of this and forthcoming governments should be on working from inside the EU, to safeguard it does more to generate growth, jobs and investment with every euro of EU spending being tested against growth and that this should be the starting point, not seeking to renegotiate a better deal, however enticing that may appear.”
It was in January that the business relation with EU was in focus at the time a referendum was called by the prime minister.
Some of the business leaders then warned that the proposal of EU referendum by David Cameron would not be good for investment.
Others then backed the move by prime minister.
This survey by BCC, also known as the Business Barometer of EU, happens to be the first important survey regarding the business of British since the policy speech by the prime minister on Europe.
John Long worth, the director general of BCC told, “the corporations believe that re-negotiation, rather than further integration or absolute extraction, is most likely to deliver business and economic benefit to the UK.”
He also said, “These results suggest that UK businesses increasingly feel that some sort of change to Britain’s relationship with the EU is needed to boost the trading projections.”
All the five scenarios will be regularly tested by BCC throughout the years 2013 and that of 2014 in order to establish the fact whether the views on business regarding potential impacts on economy change with time.