德國工商界領袖批評英國拖延退歐談判

The head of one of Germany’s leading industry lobby groups has warned that delays in launching the UK’s Brexit negotiations are prolonging the uncertainty hanging over the British economy and hitting investment plans.

德國知名行業遊說組織之一的負責人警告稱，拖延啓動英國退歐談判將延長懸在英國經濟頭上的不確定性，對投資計劃造成打擊。

In an interview with the FT, Eric Schweitzer, head of DIHK, the German chamber of commerce and industry, criticised the decision by Theresa May, UK prime minister, to postpone Brexit talks until next year and failing to set a specific date.

在接受英國《金融時報》採訪時，德國工商大會(DIHK)主席史偉哲(Eric Schweitzer)批評英國首相特里薩•梅（Theresa May，上圖左）決定將退歐談判推遲至明年而且未能設定一個具體日期。

The deadlock is creating a situation in which many investments are now held up and will not be carried out because people don’t know . . . what the conditions will be over three or four years, Mr Schweitzer said.

史偉哲表示：這一僵局正在造就這樣一種局面：許多投資現在都已被擱置，而且不會得到執行，因爲人們不清楚……接下來三四年的情況如何。

Quality was more important than speed in preparing negotiations, he said.

他說，就談判的籌備工作而言，質量比速度更重要。

But it was essential that negotiations concluded in an appropriate timeframe.

不過，在適當的時間框架內完成談判是十分必要的。

Mr Schweitzer, whose organisation represents 3.5m companies and entrepreneurs, said he was not threatening the UK but that it was clear the economic effects of Brexit would be negative for the EU and very negative for Britain: Great Britain will suffer economically.

史偉哲掌管的組織代表350萬公司和創業家的利益。他表示，他這麼說不是在恐嚇英國，但英國退歐對歐盟(EU)的經濟影響顯然將是負面的，對英國的經濟影響顯然將非常負面：英國經濟將受到打擊。

That is not a threat but simply the logical consequence of the process.

這不是什麼恐嚇，而完全是這一過程得出的合乎邏輯的結果。

German companies are already under pressure amid the uncertainty surrounding Britain’s exit from the EU, with the DIHK forecasting a 1 per cent decline in German exports to the UK this year and 5 per cent in 2017.

受英國退歐產生的不確定性影響，德國企業已然承受着壓力。德國工商大會預計，今年德國對英出口將下滑1%，2017年會下滑5%。