There was a very positive spirit of cooperation at the recent Germany-UK Business-Government Forum, which we organised in Berlin at the end of April. We hope that, despite the prospect of a leadership contest facing the Prime Minister in the coming months, closer UK-German and wider UK-European ties will remain high on the political agenda.
Continued progress is essential not only from a business perspective, but also in light of the wider geopolitical environment. Whatever the outcome of the leadership contest, a number of commentators anticipate a further shift in Government policy towards closer engagement with Europe. While domestic policy changes may present certain challenges for businesses, a renewed focus on improving UK-EU relations would be welcomed by the German-British business community. Closer cooperation with the EU has the potential to support investment, trade and economic growth in the UK, although achieving meaningful progress may require greater flexibility around some of the Government’s current red lines.
Against this backdrop, the Chamber looks forward to continuing its close engagement with political and business stakeholders on both sides of the Channel to advance practical solutions that remove barriers to economic cooperation. We encourage members to continue sharing the issues they face so that, together, we can help strengthen cross-border trade, investment and long-term business partnerships between the UK and Germany.
Dr Ulrich Hoppe
Director General
German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce
