CESA meets Brexit minister in ‘positive' talks at 9 Downing Street
The Catering Equipment Suppliers Association (CESA) met with Brexit minister Lord Bridges at 9 Downing Street last week to present the catering equipment industry's position on Brexit.
Representing the catering equipment industry were Lord Trefgarne, patron of CESA; Keith Warren, director; Glenn Roberts, chair; and Phil Williams and Richard Cromwell, both on the CESA Council.
The group met with the parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Exiting the European Union to outline the industry's needs post-Brexit, the employment needs of the sector and request that self-certification remain in place for UK companies to CE mark equipment (excluding gas equipment).
The meeting follows the government's publication of the green paper, Building Our Industrial Strategy.
The meeting was "very positive", according to Roberts. "The government are keen to engage with our industry, they want to know about the sector and what it needs," he said.
He said it is "critical" the industry gets clarify on exactly what catering equipment companies will need to do to sell into Europe post-Brexit and how they can influence EU policy if we don't have a seat at the table.
"For example, currently we are involved in the continuing development of MEPS tests, under the Ecodesign Directive. If we're not involved, European manufacturers will impose their preferred test standards, without any input from British companies.
"We also discussed CESA's desire for the UK to develop our own policies in these areas, ensuring we are keeping pace with the EU, and the importance CESA places on government prioritising this."
He also urged catering equipment companies and organisations with an interest in trade with Europe to respond to the green paper directly by April 17 2017.
CESA represents more than 180 companies who supply, service and maintain all types of commercial catering equipment.
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