UK business unmoved by single market

Manufacturing News, Source : TheManufacturer.com
Published : 12 Nov 2002 10:40

As the European single market approaches its tenth anniversary, there is new evidence that British companies are more sceptical of its benefits than their European counterparts.

Figures released by the European Commission yesterday show that 46 per cent of European companies feel that the internal market has had a positive effect on their business, with 11 per cent perceiving a negative effect. The fact that 42 per cent of businesses either don’t know or feel that the internal market has had no impact, however, is perhaps the most significant figure of them all.

The survey shows wide variations of opinion between member states, with companies from smaller countries tending to be more keen on the internal market – 69 per cent of businesses in Ireland and Greece, for instance, rated its impact as positive. Companies in the UK are least enthusiastic - only 26 per cent of them rated its impact on their business as positive, while 17 per cent think it has had a negative effect. This leaves over 50 per cent in the ‘no-impact’ camp.

The business survey covered 5900 businesses in all 15 member states across a broad range of sectors. These businesses ranged in size from small (i.e. those employing 10 49 people) to medium-sized (i.e. those employing 50-249 people) and large (i.e. those employing more than 250 people). Businesses surveyed included both exporters and non-exporters.

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