Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Latest NewsEconomics, government & business

UK plc frustrated at Europe’s struggle to become competitive

by Personnel Today 8 Nov 2004
by Personnel Today 8 Nov 2004

The president of the CBI today said British businesses are frustrated with stalled efforts to make Europe the world’s most competitive economy.

John Sunderland, also chairman of Cadbury Schweppes, addressing business leaders at the CBI’s annual conference in Birmingham, said British business supports UK membership of the European Union, but he believes this is a critical time to speak out as new EU President Jose Manuel Barroso prepares to appoint a new European Commission.

“British business is pro-European,” Sunderland said. “That is not a political view, just a statement of this country’s economic interest.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“But we would be failing in our duty if we did not speak out when policy makers endanger wealth creation and jobs. With last week’s Kok report showing insufficient progress on economic reform and a new European Commission taking shape, nobody can doubt that now is the time to tell it as it is and call for action. The vision of Europe becoming the world’s most competitive economy remains very much a distant one.

“Some national governments are dragging their feet on delivering the basic reforms needed to make Europe competitive. The outgoing European Commission – which should have championed free-market reform – appears obsessed with increasing employment and environmental legislation.”

Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
T&G claims Jersey staff face worst employment laws in Western world
next post
UK business under pressure to relocate overseas

You may also like

Could equal pay questionnaires be revived?

19 Aug 2025

Petition calls for rethink on NHS agency staff...

19 Aug 2025

‘Zero tolerance’ on staff discount abuse leads to...

19 Aug 2025

British Transport Police first force to hire part-time...

19 Aug 2025

Public sector remote working drops dramatically

19 Aug 2025

Eurostar’s Georgie Willis a keynote speaker at Employee...

19 Aug 2025

Security officer who showed ‘racist’ video wins £44k...

18 Aug 2025

CEO pay at record levels for third year...

18 Aug 2025

Scottish government faces legal action over gender policies

18 Aug 2025

More than 56k potential candidates for each HR...

18 Aug 2025

  • Elevate your L&D strategy at the World of Learning 2025 SPONSORED | This October...Read more
  • How to employ a global workforce from the UK (webinar) WEBINAR | With an unpredictable...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise