Catering Insight – February 2018

FRONT / NEWS REVIEW

http://www.cateringinsight.com / FEBRUARY 2018 / C AT E R I N G INSIGHT 7

CATERING EQUIPMENT HEADLINE NEWS

T

he European Union
Relationship and
Industrial Strategy
(EURIS) Taskforce
has outlined its support for
the Confederation of British
Industry’s (CBI) call for the UK
to stay in a Customs Union with
the EU for as long as it serves us
to do so.
With CESA as a member, the
EURIS Taskforce is an advisory
body representing industrial
product suppliers covered by
the single market. It represents
sectors with a turnover of over
£105bn across electrotechncial,

electronics, renewables and

mechanical engineering products.

EURIS chairman Dr Howard

Porter said: “As CBI director

general Carolyn Fairbairn

outlined in her speech at

Warwick University, there

may well come a time when

the opportunity to fully set

independent trade policies

outweighs the value of a customs

union with the EU.

“The UK is not however at

that point yet and UK product

manufacturers, represented by

EURIS, are heavily dependent

on the cost and delay-free

recommending for adoption

aspects of future European

legislation that specifically

impact on the industrial product

supply sector.

EURIS suggested this

mechanism is delivered through

a permanent industry or

government organisation, or that

it is part of Sector Deals, which is

a government industrial strategy

to create partnerships between

the government and industry

on sector-specific issues. This is

aimed at building opportunities to

boost productivity, employment,

innovation and skills.

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benefits of membership of the EU

Customs Union.”

EURIS vice-chairman Steve

Brambley added: “EURIS’

position is that membership of

the EU Customs Union should be

retained via a close association

agreement which would allow

for the frictionless trade with the

EU on which so much of the UK’s

manufacturing industry depends.”

At the end of last year, the

umbrella association also called

on the government to establish

a ‘post-Brexit industry and

government liaison body’ with

the remit of confirming and

INDUSTRY UMBRELLA ASSOCIATION CALLS

UK TO REMAIN IN THE CUSTOMS UNION