European Round Table of Industrialists

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The European Round Table of Industrialists, abbreviated ERT, is an influential interest group in the European Union consisting of some 40 European industrial leaders working to strengthen competitiveness in Europe. The group works both at national and European levels.

At the outset, the group played an important role in the planning of the Oresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden as part of its European Link project on improvements to the European infrastructure. This project also includes several other international European infrastructural projects eg. the Fehmar Belt Bridge between Denmark and Germany. Later on the ERT became active in the promotion of the earliest TransEuropean Networks.

The ERT's busiest decade was 1988 to 1998 under different chairmen: Wisse Dekker NL, Jérôme Monod FR and Helmut Maucher CHwith Keith Richardson as Secretary General. During this time the ERT published influential reports in the domains of Internal Market, Infrastructure, Education, Environment, Information Society, Competitiveness, Job Creation and tax issues. The ERT fostered direct government-industry consultation at many different levels. Its active role in encouraging the first global G8 cooperation on building common standards for the Information Society was recognised by several country leaders, including President Clinton.

From early on, ERT policy supported EU enlargement. It promoted and often led business dialogues between the EU and business circles in the US, in Japan and in developing countries. The ERT gave an early lead in presenting positive contributions to the climate change debate, and control carbon emissions. Two more recent areas for ERT contribution are pensions and international accounting standards.