The B5 business groups have issued a joint statement backing the UK government’s pragmatic approach to EU talks and urging faster progress on trade easing, including SPS arrangements and ETS cooperation.
The Institute of Directors says the B5 business groups have issued a joint statement backing the government’s pragmatic approach to UK-EU talks and pressing for quicker progress on trade easing.
The statement, published on May 18, 2026, came ahead of a No. 10 reception and was issued by the Institute of Directors, the CBI, the British Chambers of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses and Make UK.
The groups said they welcome the direction of travel in the talks, but want practical steps that reduce unnecessary trade barriers and improve regulatory cooperation.
They called in particular for progress on sanitary and phytosanitary, or SPS, arrangements and on emissions trading scheme, or ETS, cooperation.
The business groups said those changes could help investment, support supply chains and lower costs for firms.
The statement adds to the pressure on ministers to turn the wider UK-EU reset process into concrete trade changes before the next summit stage.
What the groups want
The B5 statement argues that more predictable rules and closer cooperation with the EU would make it easier for companies to trade across borders.
It focuses on two technical areas that matter for firms moving goods and complying with climate-related rules: SPS checks and ETS alignment or cooperation.
No contradictory reporting has emerged, and the statement remains a fresh policy development rather than a retrospective summary.
Revision note
Initial automated publication.