Frankfurt, January 16, 2019 –The British House of Commons has rejected the agreement for an orderly withdrawal from the EU. VDMA President Carl Martin Welcker criticises this decision.

 

"The British House of Commons missed an opportunity to avert a hard Brexit to lay the foundations for a close relationship with the EU. It is simply irresponsible that the British government coalition is still fighting for a unified position ten weeks before the resignation date. Time until 29th of March is pressing, Britain must now quickly find solutions as to how the withdrawal agreement can still be concluded. Politicians owe this to the citizens whose prosperity and jobs are at stake."

 

The VDMA represents more than 3200 companies in the medium-sized mechanical and plant engineering sector. With 1.35 million employees in Germany and a turnover of 226 billion euros (2017), the sector is the largest industrial employer and one of Germany's leading industrial sectors overall.