ERT urges EU leaders to take extraordinary action to secure Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and prosperity
Antwerp, 11 February 2026: Ahead of the Informal Leaders’ Retreat tomorrow, the European Round Table for Industry (ERT), representing the CEOs and Chairs of 60 of Europe’s leading industrial and technology companies, was in Antwerp today, as European industry called on the Heads of State and Government of the EU-27 to take urgent, exceptional action to restore the continent’s competitiveness and safeguard its strategic future.
The events of 2025 and early 2026 have created a profound turning point for Europe’s economic and geopolitical position, demanding a new level of political courage and collective resolve.
At the heart of ERT’s call is a simple and urgent message: completing the Single Market must be the EU’s number one priority. It would give Europe the scale and resources needed for its clean, digital and defensive transformations. To achieve this, ERT urges leaders to eliminate long‑standing national obstacles, empower the proposed network of national Sherpas and commit to a firm completion deadline of 2028.
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ERT also calls for decisive progress on:
- More resourcing at DG GROW for better enforcement of Single Market rules – to maintain and safeguard the integrity of the Single Market
- a Capital Markets Union capable of mobilising European savings at scale – to improve access to finance
- a fully integrated Energy Union with competitive clean power and accelerated cross-border grids – to bring down the cost of energy
- a Digital & Telecoms Single Market with coordinated spectrum management – to ensure optimised investment in connectivity technology
- modernised competition and state aid rules fit for global realities – to empower the scaling of the EU’s sectoral strengths
- and a 28th Régime offering companies a single, uniform legal framework – to enable European start-ups, SMEs and scale-ups to thrive
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ERT further urges rapid trade diversification, accelerated approval of major agreements, temporary relief for energy‑intensive industries, and creative use of EU mechanisms such as Enhanced Cooperation.
ENDS
Note to Editors:
A full list of the CEOs & Chairs in the Membership of ERT is accessible here.
Amid all the challenges that Europe currently faces, our message to EU leaders is simple: this is a Delors moment. Take action now and take action together. The foundations of Europe’s competitiveness need urgent reinforcement and business stands ready to play its full part.
The recent announcement of trade deals with Mercosur and India are building a new narrative about the EU. It’s time to add an internal dimension, by completing the Single Market. This would create a new dynamic for European integration, improving our resilience and increasing our appeal as a trading partner. Let’s seize this opportunity to change the narrative of Europe’s future – and make a success of it.