By Federico Grandesso From New Europe

In an interview, British Ambassador to Belgium Jonathan Brenton talks to New Europe about his country’s trade relations with Belgium, September’s Scottish referendum and the European Council’s recent nomination of Jean-Claude Juncker as the next president of the European Commission.

Can you tell us about your activities in Brussels as regards bilateral trade?

Belgium is our sixth largest market for UK exports, so it’s a big and important market for us. We tend to do less in lobby business because they are very active with our British Chamber of Commerce. What we tend to do on the export side is to work with smaller companies exporting for the first time. We had various events promoting British food and beer.

We also do a lot of work on investments because there are major Belgian investors in the UK like in the pharmaceutical and construction sectors or with companies like the UCB, INBEV and INBEER.

We need in the UK to stay competitive. We can’t win the global race, as our Prime Minister calls it, without exporting more.

Belgium is a wonderful country for companies to begin exporting because if you are a small company you want to go somewhere near, in a place not so expensive and somewhere easy to operate – like Belgium.

What’s your reaction to the European Council’s nomination of Junker as the next president of the European Commission?

Our prime minister [David Cameron] made it very clear that he didn’t vote for Mr Junker. But we have accepted the decision of the European Council. We will work with Mr Junker. Our prime minister spoke to Juncker last Sunday.

We have always worked very constructively with the European Council. It’s important to remind the public that our objections were not about the person, but about the process because we are concerned this process marked a shifting of power without negotiation through the treaties towards the European Parliament.

This process restricted the number of candidates available. Nevertheless, we are delighted that this council is given a mandate to look again to the process for the next time. Finally, it’s also put on record the need to address some of Britain’s concerns about the European Union.

What about the UK’s concerns? Do you have any expectations about the appointments of the others EU top jobs?

The issue is not around people, it’s about the political and economic gender and we also think that the areas where UK has concerns are also the areas where all EU citizens have concerns. I think the vast majority of EU citizens would like to see more economic growth and better regulation on trade deals.

A larger and growing number want to see Europe doing less and doing a smaller number of things better. We also have growing concerns about abuse of free movement and we are delighted that this topic is on the Council conclusions.

The headlines in some British press the day after the European Council’s nomination of Juncker were rather dramatic. Was it really so dramatic for the UK?

Things are rarely as dramatic as they are in the next day’s newspapers. We have a vigorous press in the UK and this is part of our proud democratic institutions. If the prime minister wins the next elections, he is committed to hold a referendum on the EU and he is doing this to secure British support for EU membership. I think this battle is winnable and our prime minister is absolutely determined to do it.

Given this new wave of separatism, what do you think about the Scottish referendum for independence?

The Scottish people will have the right to vote in September. If you look at today‘s polls, most Scottish citizens think we are better together. I’m confident that Scotland will stay with the UK because the strongest arguments are those on the side of staying together.

But if Scotland does separate from the UK, how are you going to work in the EU?

I wouldn’t speculate on this because I’m confident we are going to win the referendum

What do you think about the new European Parliament?

I should first say that I’m not a party political diplomat. But, I think the EU vote shows growing disillusion with the EU integration, which some people think is moving too fast.

This is not about the parties voted into the European Parliament, but about the turn out in different countries. It was very low.

In the UK, we think that in the European Parliament there are many hard working MEPs scrutinising legislation, but this is not necessarily the democratic voice of every EU citizen. Most EU citizens still recognise their national parliament and government as their authentic voice.

For more on this story and to watch the video go to: http://www.neurope.eu/article/eu-vote-shows-growing-disillusion-eu-integration

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