UK not turning its back on Europe
2013-01-24 16:54
Davos - Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday
that Britain was not turning its back on Europe, after angering his EU partners
by announcing plans for a referendum on membership.
Cameron also insisted that his vow in a speech in London
on Wednesday to let the British people vote on the issue by the end of 2017
would not deter foreign investors.
"This is not about turning our backs on Europe -
quite the opposite," Cameron told the World Economic Forum in Davos.
"It’s about how we make the case for a more
competitive, open and flexible Europe, and secure the UK’s place within
it."
Cameron played down comments by his main European
partners that Britain could not pick and choose what it wanted from the EU, and
reiterated his view that the bloc needed urgent reforms to make it competitive.
"What I'm proposing is not just change for Britain
but also change for Europe," the British premier said.
"We have to be frank about our performance. We are
falling behind in the world. We're over-regulating our business, we're adding
too much to their costs. We're leaving our citizens behind.
"And that's why I say that Europe too often has been
a cause of cost to business and complaints to our citizens and we need to deal
with that not just for Britain's sake but for everyone's sake in the EU."
Asked whether uncertainty could deter businesses from
investing in Britain - a question that drew a round of applause - Cameron
replied: "There is a debate underway already about Britain's place in the
European Union, business knows that.
"It is much better to be frank and open about that
and set out the pathway where we're going to resolve this issue in a way that
will actually benefit business, because we'll end up with a more competitive,
more open Europe."
Cameron said British business leaders - including more
than 50 who wrote a letter to the Times newspaper on Thursday - "say that
this is a sensible approach”.
- SAPA
