Wednesday, June 7

The business of being ignored

Many European businesses believe their views are ignored by the European Union when it drafts laws a detailed survey published on Tuesday highlighted. The report was conducted on behalf of international law firm Clifford Chance.

The detailed survey covered 177 firms in France, Britain, Germany, Hungary, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain.

Over half the respondents gave EU legislation high priority and a majority expected an increase in the time they devote to EU law, but only 25 percent devoted resources to researching EU policy or getting their views across, it found.

"We are seeing a clear trend of business feeling out of step with EU legislators as new regulations come out of Brussels," Clifford Chance senior partner Stuart Popham said.

"Smaller firms in particular cannot afford to keep tabs on new developments, and larger businesses appear to engage too little and too late."

Significantly in all countries, a larger number of business -- especially in Italy, France and Spain -- found it easier to get their views across to national governments than to the EU.

Most businesses questioned were unhappy about the way EU legislation was implemented at state level. Indeed so!

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