Business chiefs plan crisis talks
Hundreds of business leaders from across Europe will meet on Tuesday for "crisis talks" over how the global economic downturn is affecting their firms.
The meeting at the European Parliament, co-ordinated by chambers of commerce, aims to draw up a list of policies Governments will have to adopt to help firms through the economic downturn.
Several European figures will attend the talks, including EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Enterprise Commissioner Gunter Verheugen.
David Frost, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "Most European economies are facing a serious downturn and many companies are now struggling to access a reliable flow of credit.
"With this in mind, there is clearly a need for businesses across the Continent to meet, discuss the problems affecting them and to directly pass on this information to European policy makers.
"Given the monumental events of the last couple of weeks, these talks are a unique opportunity for the real economy, a vital part of every community, to help forge a path out of the current financial turmoil."