24th December 2013 London, UK
A little over a year ago, the Economist wrote a piece analysing Britain’s place in Europe. There wasn’t a lot of good news. Efforts to reform the way Brussels works were simply “making things worse” as “other countries are tiring of British demands”. The best we could hope for, it was argued, was to “rediscover […]
5th November 2013 London, UK
I recently launched the third round of consultations in the Balance of Competences Review, the most extensive analysis of our relationship with the EU ever undertaken. The first six reports were published in July this year, with the next nine due this winter. Marking the launch, I spoke to businesses and civil society organisations about the contribution the reports are making to the wider debate on European reform.
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22nd July 2013 London, UK
The Government today announced the publication of the first six reports of the Balance of Competences Review. They cover an overview of the single market, health, development co-operation and humanitarian aid, foreign policy, animal health and welfare and food safety, and taxation. They will be followed by another 26 reports between now and the end […]
14th May 2013 London, UK
A startling statistic – over half the businesses that get help from UK Trade & Investment go on to win additional sales of over £600,000 within two years. The UK’s trade performance is often discussed in the abstract, or at the macroeconomic level. People look at the effect on UK GDP or the balance of […]
24th January 2013 Dublin, Ireland
You will of course be aware that David Cameron, our Prime Minister, delivered a major speech on Europe in London on 23 January. It has received a lot of coverage in the Polish media and Foreign Minister Sikorski commented on it on 24 January. The speech is a very clear commitment to keeping the UK […]
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28th December 2012 London, UK
For anyone who enjoys sitting down over the holidays and reading the newspapers, Christmas and New Year are open season for lists. And in 2012, there’s been a lot to talk about. We’ve seen colleagues from across Government emerging bleary-eyed from late-night negotiations in Brussels having won around new allies to our point of view, […]
26th November 2012 Athens, Greece
“Where can Greece find growth?” is perhaps the most frequently asked question here (and beyond) just now. One answer might be: on the internet. As part of Britain’s drive to establish a more comprehensive European Single Market, British Embassy Athens has been working closely with Greece’s burgeoning digital sector, the Government and the EU Commission […]
16th October 2012
Yesterday, a friend here in Sweden ordered a pram on-line. The best price was from a French company. The site (albeit in French only) helpfully gave a price for delivery to Sweden. But it proved impossible to register as a customer outside France. She put “Sweden” in the comment box and pressed send. And the […]
15th October 2012 London, UK
This week, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Single Market, and it is a good moment to look back at how our relationship with Europe has changed over that time. Since 1992, the UK’s trade with EU member states has more than trebled. Currently, 3.5 million jobs – 11% of the UK’s workforce – […]
4th April 2012 Dublin, Ireland
It has been a busy few weeks. A few highlights. Working with some great British companies particularly during the visit of Susan Haird (Deputy CEO of UKTI). There are some big opportunities, not least in the energy field where there is great interest in exploiting the shale gas and civil nuclear opportunities and in infrastructure, […]