Achievements

Highlights of ERT activities

1983
Founded in Paris as a private circle of 17 European industrialists by Pehr Gyllenhammar of Volvo, the ERT's mission has remained constant through 20 years - to strengthen the competitiveness of the European economy on the world stage.

1984
The name "European Round Table of Industrialists" was fixed when ERT issued its first landmark report Missing Links on the gaps in Europe's infrastructure.

1985
Using its Memorandum Europe and 1990, ERT pressed politicians to agree a simplified programme to complete the Single Market and to set a deadline date. The date finally agreed was 1992. An in-house training programme for young managers was started.

1986
ERT companies provided the start-up funds for Euroventures to promote the use of venture capital in Europe. Reports were published on Europe's unemployment and on information technology.

1987
ERT and the US Business Roundtable declared support for completion of GATT's Uruguay Round. A report was published on advanced traffic management systems. At the end of 1987 Wisse Dekker of Philips as newly elected ERT Chairman decided to move the ERT Secretariat office to Brussels.

1988
ERT acquired full legal status under Belgian law and a new staff, with Keith Richardson as first full-time Secretary General. Reports were published on tax harmonisation and the competence of Europe's workforce. ERT created the University-Industry Forum. Following a merger with the Groupe des Présidents, ERT membership numbers rose to 29.

1989
ERT strengthened its links with the European Commission, maintaining pressure for completion of the Single Market. Work started with UNICE on looking at draft European Social Legislation. A new report on transport infrastructure was issued.

1990
Further reports came out on labour markets, COCOM, and R&D; in Europe. Jérôme Monod of Lyonnaise des Eaux led Member-level discussions on the future of Europe, resulting in ERT's second landmark report. ERT membership numbers rose to 45.

1991
Reshaping Europe presented a holistic view of Europe without borders until the end of the century. In 1991-1993 ERT ran five management seminars in Hungary, Poland and Czechoslovakia.

1992
In the Maastricht year, Jérôme Monod was elected ERT Chairman, and new ERT reports came out on LifeLong learning and on restoring business confidence. ERT wound up its transport infrastructure studies, proposing a new neutral international body in its stead.

1993
ERT published a report benchmarking investment conditions in a number of newly developing countries. Real progress was made by the time of the 1996 update. Timed with the Delors White Paper, ERT's report Beating the Crisis proposed a competitiveness advisory council.

1994
ERT added pressure to help close the Uruguay Round negotiations. In Moscow 12 ERT Members talked to Prime Minister Chernomyrdin but the political climate prevented further action. ERT reports were published on Europe's Information Highways and Climate Change.

1995
The new report Education for Europeans called for the reform of Europe's education systems. ERT organised an international group of industrialists from all G7 countries to cooperate on building a global information society. Work began on international accounting standards, and ERT wrote to the Madrid Summit on the EMU's deadline and naming the currency.

1996
In January Helmut Maucher (Nestlé) became ERT Chairman. A joint ERT-Commission seminar on benchmarking led to the publication of Benchmarking for Policy-makers. ERT expressed its views on the management of Europe to the Intergovernmental Council.

1997
Helmut Maucher formalised relations between ERT and UNICE. Two major new publications were launched: Investing in Knowledge and A Stimulus to Job Creation, and an updated Climate Change report . Work started on the Enlargement of Europe.

1998
Wim Philippa was appointed Secretary General in March. A number of messages went to European governments on the Millennium Bug. Following a Colloquium in May, a report on Job Creation and Competitiveness through Innovation was published in November.

1999

The ERT report "The East-West Win-Win Business Experience" was published, highlighting the principal benefits derived from Western investment for both parties concerned, and identifying the obstacles which Western European investors still encounter in candidate countries.
In October, Morris Tabaksblat (Reed Elsevier) became ERT Chairman.

2000

The ERT published three new reports: "European Pensions: An Appeal for Reform"; "Improving Investment Conditions - Third Survey on Improvements in Conditions for Investment in the Developing World"; "Climate Change: How Industry and Government can work Together".
The ERT Chairman made a major speech at the European Business Summit in June emphasizing the need for rapid change to make Europe a more competitive and entrepreneurial business environment.

2001
In March, ERT published its first message in follow-up to the goal set by the Lisbon European Council to make Europe the �most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world� by 2010. Its message to the Stockholm Summit was entitled �Actions for Competitiveness through the Knowledge Economy in Europe� and focused on the need to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship and address the persistent skills gap. In June, ERT sent a message to the Gothenburg European Council, on �Opening up the Business Opportunities of EU Enlargement�, which underlined the view that Enlargement can contribute positively to business competitiveness both in the EU-15 and the candidate countries. ERT organised a high level meeting to reinforce the debate on Pension Reforms in Europe in October. Taking part were ERT Members, the Belgian Minister for Social Affairs and Pensions, Commissioner Pedro Solbes, Members of the European Parliament and pension experts from governments, business and academia. In December, ERT made an initial contribution to the debate on the future of Europe, in the form of a message to the European Council in Laeken, entitled �A stronger Europe: The view from ERT�, indicating the need for change to European Governance to promote competitiveness. Gerhard Cromme (ThyssenKrupp) took over the ERT Chairmanship from Morris Tabaksblat in November.

2002
In March, ERT addressed its second message on the Lisbon goal to the Barcelona European Council, entitled �Will European Governments in Barcelona keep their Lisbon promises?� In April, Morris Tabaksblat made a key speech to the Evian Group on �Leadership and the WTO�. In May, ERT developed a Discussion Paper as its first formal contribution to the European Convention�s Debate on the Future of Europe, outlining ERT�s views on the need to reform EU governance so that European business can better contribute to economic growth and compete more effectively in international markets. A subsequent leaflet published in November, entitled �European Governance for greater competitiveness�, summarised ERT�s views.

2003

In March, ERT published its third follow-up message on the Lisbon goal, entitled �The European Challenge�, focussing on reforms needed in the EU in order to realise the European Council�s ambition to increase the level of investment in R&D; in Europe from 1.9% to 3% of GDP by 2010. In May, ERT and five other business organisations from around the world sent a message to world leaders preparing for the G8 Summit, pressing for timely progress in the negotiations of the WTO�s Doha Development Agenda. In June, ERT together with the US Business Roundtable (BRT), sent a message to the EU/US Summit in Washington, underlining the importance of a strong EU-US relationship for business on both sides of the Atlantic, and in particular the need for governments on both sides to work together to secure success in the Doha Development Agenda.
In June, ERT together with the US Business Roundtable (BRT), sent a message to the EU/US Summit in Washington, underlining the importance of a strong EU-US relationship for business on both sides of the Atlantic, and in particular the need for governments on both sides to work together to secure success in the Doha Development Agenda.
Also in June, ERT published its "Response to the Commission's Proposals for Reform of EU Merger Control".

1983	Founded in Paris as a private circle of 17 European industrialists by Pehr Gyllenhammar of Volvo, the ERT's mission has remained constant through 20 years - to strengthen the competitiveness of the European economy on the world stage.
1984	The name "European Round Table of Industrialists" was fixed when ERT issued its first landmark report Missing Links on the gaps in Europe's infrastructure.
1985	Using its Memorandum Europe and 1990, ERT pressed politicians to agree a simplified programme to complete the Single Market and to set a deadline date. The date finally agreed was 1992. An in-house training programme for young managers was started.
1986	ERT companies provided the start-up funds for Euroventures to promote the use of venture capital in Europe. Reports were published on Europe's unemployment and on information technology.
1987	ERT and the US Business Roundtable declared support for completion of GATT's Uruguay Round. A report was published on advanced traffic management systems. At the end of 1987 Wisse Dekker of Philips as newly elected ERT Chairman decided to move the ERT Secretariat office to Brussels.
1988	ERT acquired full legal status under Belgian law and a new staff, with Keith Richardson as first full-time Secretary General. Reports were published on tax harmonisation and the competence of Europe's workforce. ERT created the University-Industry Forum. Following a merger with the Groupe des Présidents, ERT membership numbers rose to 29.
1989	ERT strengthened its links with the European Commission, maintaining pressure for completion of the Single Market. Work started with UNICE on looking at draft European Social Legislation. A new report on transport infrastructure was issued.
1990	Further reports came out on labour markets, COCOM, and R&D; in Europe. Jérôme Monod of Lyonnaise des Eaux led Member-level discussions on the future of Europe, resulting in ERT's second landmark report. ERT membership numbers rose to 45.
1991	Reshaping Europe presented a holistic view of Europe without borders until the end of the century. In 1991-1993 ERT ran five management seminars in Hungary, Poland and Czechoslovakia.
1992	In the Maastricht year, Jérôme Monod was elected ERT Chairman, and new ERT reports came out on LifeLong learning and on restoring business confidence. ERT wound up its transport infrastructure studies, proposing a new neutral international body in its stead.
1993	ERT published a report benchmarking investment conditions in a number of newly developing countries. Real progress was made by the time of the 1996 update. Timed with the Delors White Paper, ERT's report Beating the Crisis proposed a competitiveness advisory council.
1994	ERT added pressure to help close the Uruguay Round negotiations. In Moscow 12 ERT Members talked to Prime Minister Chernomyrdin but the political climate prevented further action. ERT reports were published on Europe's Information Highways and Climate Change.
1995	The new report Education for Europeans called for the reform of Europe's education systems. ERT organised an international group of industrialists from all G7 countries to cooperate on building a global information society. Work began on international accounting standards, and ERT wrote to the Madrid Summit on the EMU's deadline and naming the currency.
1996	In January Helmut Maucher (Nestlé) became ERT Chairman. A joint ERT-Commission seminar on benchmarking led to the publication of Benchmarking for Policy-makers. ERT expressed its views on the management of Europe to the Intergovernmental Council.
1997	Helmut Maucher formalised relations between ERT and UNICE. Two major new publications were launched: Investing in Knowledge and A Stimulus to Job Creation, and an updated Climate Change report . Work started on the Enlargement of Europe.
1998	Wim Philippa was appointed Secretary General in March. A number of messages went to European governments on the Millennium Bug. Following a Colloquium in May, a report on Job Creation and Competitiveness through Innovation was published in November.
1999	The ERT report "The East-West Win-Win Business Experience" was published, highlighting the principal benefits derived from Western investment for both parties concerned, and identifying the obstacles which Western European investors still encounter in candidate countries. In October, Morris Tabaksblat (Reed Elsevier) became ERT Chairman.
2000	The ERT published three new reports: "European Pensions: An Appeal for Reform"; "Improving Investment Conditions - Third Survey on Improvements in Conditions for Investment in the Developing World"; "Climate Change: How Industry and Government can work Together". The ERT Chairman made a major speech at the European Business Summit in June emphasizing the need for rapid change to make Europe a more competitive and entrepreneurial business environment.
2001	In March, ERT published its first message in follow-up to the goal set by the Lisbon European Council to make Europe the �most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world� by 2010. Its message to the Stockholm Summit was entitled �Actions for Competitiveness through the Knowledge Economy in Europe� and focused on the need to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship and address the persistent skills gap. In June, ERT sent a message to the Gothenburg European Council, on �Opening up the Business Opportunities of EU Enlargement�, which underlined the view that Enlargement can contribute positively to business competitiveness both in the EU-15 and the candidate countries. ERT organised a high level meeting to reinforce the debate on Pension Reforms in Europe in October. Taking part were ERT Members, the Belgian Minister for Social Affairs and Pensions, Commissioner Pedro Solbes, Members of the European Parliament and pension experts from governments, business and academia. In December, ERT made an initial contribution to the debate on the future of Europe, in the form of a message to the European Council in Laeken, entitled �A stronger Europe: The view from ERT�, indicating the need for change to European Governance to promote competitiveness. Gerhard Cromme (ThyssenKrupp) took over the ERT Chairmanship from Morris Tabaksblat in November.
2002	In March, ERT addressed its second message on the Lisbon goal to the Barcelona European Council, entitled �Will European Governments in Barcelona keep their Lisbon promises?� In April, Morris Tabaksblat made a key speech to the Evian Group on �Leadership and the WTO�. In May, ERT developed a Discussion Paper as its first formal contribution to the European Convention�s Debate on the Future of Europe, outlining ERT�s views on the need to reform EU governance so that European business can better contribute to economic growth and compete more effectively in international markets. A subsequent leaflet published in November, entitled �European Governance for greater competitiveness�, summarised ERT�s views.
2003	In March, ERT published its third follow-up message on the Lisbon goal, entitled �The European Challenge�, focussing on reforms needed in the EU in order to realise the European Council�s ambition to increase the level of investment in R&D; in Europe from 1.9% to 3% of GDP by 2010. In May, ERT and five other business organisations from around the world sent a message to world leaders preparing for the G8 Summit, pressing for timely progress in the negotiations of the WTO�s Doha Development Agenda. In June, ERT together with the US Business Roundtable (BRT), sent a message to the EU/US Summit in Washington, underlining the importance of a strong EU-US relationship for business on both sides of the Atlantic, and in particular the need for governments on both sides to work together to secure success in the Doha Development Agenda. In June, ERT together with the US Business Roundtable (BRT), sent a message to the EU/US Summit in Washington, underlining the importance of a strong EU-US relationship for business on both sides of the Atlantic, and in particular the need for governments on both sides to work together to secure success in the Doha Development Agenda. Also in June, ERT published its "Response to the Commission's Proposals for Reform of EU Merger Control".