The ERT (European Round Table for Industry), an organization that was created in 1983 to promote the development of Europe and which brings together the main industrial and technological executives, held a plenary session this past weekend in Madrid in which discussed the challenges facing Europe in the current geopolitical moment. A session that was attended by the King Felipe VI and in which José María Álvarez-Palleteexecutive president of Telefónica, served as host coinciding with the company’s Centennial year.
Teresa Ribera, third vice president of the Government of Spain, and Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, also participated in the two-day meetings, along with the president of the ERT, Jean-François van Boxmeer, and Anthony Gooch Gálvez , recently appointed secretary general of the organization.
Thus, in the organization there are representatives of Spanish companies such as Álvarez-Pallete himself, from Telefónica; Óscar García Maceiras, CEO of Inditex; Ignacio Sánchez Galán, president of Iberdrola; and Rafael del Pino, president of Ferrovial.
«The meetings have taken place at a critical moment for Europe, in which geopolitics once again occupies a prominent place. The recent Reports by Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi “They have shown that the region has fallen behind in terms of competitiveness, productivity and innovation, and they have drawn up a clear and precise roadmap for Europe to regain its leadership,” Telefónica said in a statement.
As reported, the meeting focused on setting “the strategic direction and future priorities of the ERT, through a close support and accompaniment project to urgently implement the measures and recommendations of the Dragui and Letta Reports by of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the 27 Member States. In this sense, the organization has highlighted that its purpose “is to help adopt the necessary measures, with the focus on advancing the digital and sustainable transition, and thus recovering the competitiveness of the economy in Europe, a fundamental objective to ensure the future well-being of citizens and companies.
José María Álvarez-Pallete, executive president of Telefónica, who also had a few words in memory of the DANA victims, has advocated for recovering Europe’s leadership, for which “it is necessary and urgent to work together to refocus our common objectives. He insisted that “we are at a key moment, in which Europe needs a new industrial strategy that – as Mario Draghi has rightly proposed – places connectivity as a cornerstone in the creation of a stronger economy and a safer, more digital, less dependent and more sustainable continent. This, without forgetting the challenge that Europe has to ensure the progress and well-being of its citizens, for which the employability and retraining of people is critical.
Jean-François van Boxmeer, President of ERT, said: “This meeting has given ERT the opportunity to commit to restoring European competitiveness, as outlined in the Draghi and Letta reports. What needs to be done is clear. “The EU institutions can count on our full support to implement it.” And he added: »Our companies want to invest and be an important source of growth, jobs and innovation to help Europe prosper. The ERT has laid the foundations to help transform the European economy in the next four years and recover lost competitiveness at a global level, extracting the full potential of our single market.”
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