Chancellor Merkel, President Macron and President Juncker meet the European Round Table of Industrialists

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Chancellor Merkel, President Macron, European Commission President Juncker and Members of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT) met today at Schloss Meseberg near Berlin.

ERT, whose Members include some of Europe’s largest employers, emphasised that the EU and its Member States should continue to champion trade liberalisation, a level playing field and global standards through international organisations such as the WTO.

ERT Members expressed concerns over the announcement of new tariffs by the US administration and underlined the importance of maintaining an open dialogue with the United States and other countries, especially China, on trade issues.

In addition, the leaders and ERT discussed:

  • Europe’s strengths, including in innovation and digital transformation.
  • Key drivers for investment, in particular the deployment of 5G infrastructure.  This is a precondition for a successful digitalisation of Europe’s economy and society. Other key enablers are cybersecurity, digital skills and industrial digital platforms.

The parties recognised that the ongoing digital transformation will bring tremendous opportunities for Europe’s society and economy, noting that Europe has the potential to become a global leader within key sectors of the digital economy, including artificial intelligence.