The president of the European Round Table for Industry (ERT), Jonathan Symonds, called on Tuesday at the Forum Europa in Brussels for the EU to deliver without delay on the major promises contained in the "roadmap" presented by the European Commission during this legislative term, because "the clock is ticking" and Europe’s industrial base "is eroding day by day".
For the ERT, a lobby group comprising sixty major European multinationals, the new EU guidelines presented by the European Commission are sound but must be effectively implemented following proper monitoring to ensure this happens; otherwise, they will remain a “mere administrative list” of good intentions.
Speaking at this briefing organised by New Economy Forum in the EU capital, Symonds stated that most of the companies that make up the ERT make no secret of their scepticism and are wary that the goal of an integrated single market by 2030 will be achieved.
In the ERT’s view, the current overlap of national legislation must be resolved as soon as possible, and there must be a commitment to a "simplified" European regulatory framework that facilitates business scale, enabling large, competitive companies to stand up firmly to US and Asian competition.
He added that his association does not want “monopolies” or to harm consumers by reducing competition, but “if we focus solely on consumer protection”, “then I believe we will still fail to achieve the scale we need to compete”.
Symonds highlighted another top priority: increasing EU investment in strategic technologies to strengthen the EU’s sovereignty and make its industrial base resilient, at a time of geopolitical turmoil not seen since the Second World War.
He identified “fragmentation” as the main obstacle facing the European defence industry, and expressed support for facilitating the emergence of large-scale pan-European defence contractors, rather than maintaining separate national efforts.
In the speaker’s introduction, ERT Secretary-General Anthony Gooch noted that the “number one priority” for the EU is now “the completion of the single market” and the creation of a robust, unified legal framework to break down the “27 regulatory walls” that hinder value creation and business competitiveness.
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