Monday 13 November 2017

London businesses' Brexit concerns to be aired at French summit

The CEO of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) will travel to Marseilles this week to meet with other European City Chamber leaders and discuss mutual concerns over Brexit.

The Alliance of European Metropolitan Chambers (AEMC) gathering on Thursday will bring together 18 European Chambers of Commerce from major cities including Berlin, Brussels, Madrid, Milan and Paris.

The meeting comes six months after the members launched a joint declaration calling for a Realistic Transition Period at City Hall in London that to enable practical arrangements to be secured on flexible immigration, trade deals and transport links.

LCCI Chief Executive Colin Stanbridge said: “The meeting in Marseilles is timely, coming as it does ahead of the next EU Summit that will decide on Brexit progress.

LCCI along with fellow AEMC members, collectively represents the interests of tens of thousands of businesses across Europe and so we are well placed to identify and work on the unique set of challenges that Brexit will present such as EU and UK workers having mutual rights to work or easing non-tariff trade barriers.

“Chambers of Commerce take the view that our shared European economy has been underpinned by an evolving economic framework with collaboration on trade and commerce as its ideal alongside cooperation on competition and growth as its objective. As a result, European business has overcome borders to succeed and flourish.

“While the UK may be poised to exit the EU, Britain is not leaving Europe – and we want to ensure that business can continue function in the years ahead. Securing a realistic and practical transitional arrangement will be critical for that”.

ENDS

Media contact
Katharine Barney
T: +44 (0)20 7203 1897
M: +44 (0)7827 241528
E: kbarney@londonchamber.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITOR:
1. London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is the capital's largest and most representative business organisation, with members ranging in size from multi-national companies to SMEs and sole traders.
2. Colin Stanbridge, Chief Executive, is available for further comment and interview.
3. LCCI hosted an AEMC summit on Brexit at City Hall, London on 5 April 2017 with speakers including Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and DEXEU Minister Lord Bridges.
4. The AEMC memorandum of understanding can be found here