The aim of all BMDF activities is to identify and analyse current core issues and by achieving a better understanding of these, enable more informed decision-making. Activities include review meetings and the issue of data and information on a wide range of current matters of importance to industry.
Among the areas under current discussion are:
- Global Competitiveness and Manufacturing Strategy – including research and development policies, and achievement of quality and ‘world best practices’
- Energy: Policy matters – Competition, costs, conservation, security of supply considerations, renewable energy, fiscal and financial considerations, emissions trading and carbon pricing, European Union implications on the UK energy market;
- European Union matters – Policy matters, implications for Industry including the development of the Single Market, regulation, energy, competition and Economic and Monetary Union;
- Better Regulation – Reducing the regulatory burden on Industry, including matters relating to financial affairs;
- Pensions – including regulation, funding, accounting and policy issues;
- Fiscal and Monetary Policies – Effects on Industry, including short and long term issues, funding of projects and the impact of regulations and accounting standards.
Membership
Membership is by invitation only and is restricted to a maximum of about 25 companies (including a small number of overseas organisations with a significant stake in the United Kingdom) in order to keep a responsive, informal and mutually supportive atmosphere and to enable members to be represented at all meetings at which they have an interest.
Data
Much pertinent information and data from world-wide sources is received at the Foundation office on matters which could affect the productivity and the performance of member companies. Where appropriate, papers and synopses are circulated including the full text of particularly relevant authoritative speeches.
The aim of BMDF publications is to give the source information on major matters of concern to enable a better understanding of the key issues.
Papers are produced by independent leading authorities, which are distributed to the member companies to provide supporting documentation in the areas that are being studied.
The BMDF has produced a series of books on the treaties that from the basis of the European Union. The BMDF publication ‘The Maastricht Treaty in Perspective’ consolidated the founding treaties, enabling the implications to be better understood, and ran into several editions. Its successors ‘The Treaty of Amsterdam in Perspective’ and ‘The Treaty of Nice in Perspective’ had outstanding reviews in the media, and were used in Parliamentary debates. Our current publication ‘The Treaty of Lisbon in Perspective’ has been equally well received.