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The European Union's common market is vital for our economy and offers huge pportunities for our Yorkshire & Humber businesses.

Britain is a trading nation. Nearly 60% of our trade is with the rest of the European Union. We export more to the Netherlands alone than to the whole of the Commonwealth. 3.5million jobs nationally and over 300,000 in Yorkshire depend on these exports.

Our region benefits from the Humber estuary: our export highway pointed at the continent. This is a huge opportunity for our firms.

Businesses who need more information on the business opportunities offered by Europe can find help from the Enterprise Europe Yorkshire which has been set up by the Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward, in co-operation with the European Commission. This is the region's gateway for information for doing business, finding collaborative partnerships, succeeding through innovation and increasing company competitiveness in Europe. Most of its services are available free to organisations based in the region.

Another source of support for small and medium sized businesses, especially when dealing with the multiplicity of languages in Europe, is the The European Marketing Agency (based in Salts Mill, Saltaire. This is a rapidly growing commercial company whose team can offer translation and marketing services in every language of the European Union.

More widely, business can obtain support from Business Link, the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses Yorkshire, the Asian Business Development Network and from UK Trade & Investment.