HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : UK-German Working Group on Job Creation and Enterprise [November 1998]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 19 November 1998.

Job creation and enterprise is the focus of a new joint working group announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown and

Welcoming the agreement to the joint working group of UK and German finance ministry officials reached at the Downing Street meeting, their first since the election of the new German Government, Mr Brown said

“Our meeting was extremely productive. We discussed a wide range of issues, and it is clear that we share a common agenda for promoting growth and employment. We have agreed that we should use every opportunity to intensify co- operation between us.

“Our officials are already in regular, close touch. We have agreed, in particular that we should look together at what more we can do to promote job creation and enterprise in our economies. We have decided to establish a joint working group to study these issues and report back to us next year. This group will complement the work of the group set up by Bodo Hombach and Peter Mandelson.

“We can learn much from each other in terms of improving economic performance, for example, in raising UK productivity towards German levels. This points to increased  dialogue, to ensure that good practice is shared. The establishment of this working group is an important first step in this process.”