Italy has expressed support for closer cooperation between the United Kingdom and the European Union, including possible British participation in the Made in Europe industrial programme. Italian Enterprise and Made in Italy Minister Adolfo Urso raised the issue during a meeting in London with UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Jonathan Reynolds.
Urso said Italy regards the United Kingdom as “a major strategic partner” that should be included within the scope of Made in Europe, provided that reciprocal conditions are established. He also said the Italian government supports measures designed to protect European companies from foreign competition.
The UK has raised concerns that the European Union’s industrial programme could disadvantage British companies. London has indicated that it would be willing to make concessions, including on youth mobility, in order to participate. The issue is expected to be discussed at the UK-EU summit in Brussels on November 20.
Urso cautioned that reaching an agreement by then would be unlikely. He said the main difficulty was not the attitude toward the UK, but the differing views and interests concerning other actors. According to the minister, discussions are continuing to find a common position that can subsequently be endorsed by the European institutions, with the framework expected to be defined by the end of the year.
The Italian government also views positively the new pro-EU direction associated with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has said that Brexit “did more harm than good.”
Sources: Il Sole 24 Ore Italia.