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Press Release

British business cannot afford a Blair EU sell-out, says FSB

20 June 2007

As the Prime Minister prepares to head to Brussels for this week’s EU Summit the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the UK’s largest business organisation, has warned that any agreement on the Constitution must not include the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The FSB is concerned that the British government is talking tough on its negotiating position before the meeting but that it will sell out on the day. The FSB believes that it is imperative for future competitiveness and job creation that the Charter of Fundamental Rights does not become legally binding. This Charter sets out "rights, freedoms and principles" including the right to strike, which reverses current UK labour laws.

The FSB’s concern is that even if the Charter is not included in the Constitution it may find its way into an annex to the document, which could still be legally binding. This would allow the unelected European Court of Justice (ECJ) to interpret the Charter in a way that would damage the UK’s competitive advantage and lead to jobs being moved elsewhere. Since its creation the ECJ has ruled on more than 13,000 cases.

Tina Sommer, FSB EU Affairs Chairman, said:

“Removing the parts of the Constitution that mention a common anthem or flag is all well and good but there are other much more vital parts of the text that the Prime Minister must resist.

“Chief among these is the Charter of Fundamental Rights. If the Charter became legally binding it could usher in a raft of debilitating labour laws and set the UK back 30 years. By lodging cases against member states the European Commission has used the ECJ as a means of legislating through the backdoor. UK labour law is too important to become the plaything of the ECJ.

“This kind of lawmaking by stealth greatly increases the burden on small businesses and denies the EU the transparency it needs to gain people’s trust. The EU needs to be accountable, but giving additional powers to the unelected ECJ will leave us powerless against judgments handed down by lawyers who care little for economic growth and job creation.”



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Federation of Small Businesses

Federation of Small Businesses

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