The EU-Russia Industrialists’ Roundtable (IRT) is a business platform composed of leaders of companies from the EU and Russia. The main body is the IRT Council, which gathers up to 20 business leaders around the same table for constructive discussions on EU-Russia economic relations.
The IRT was established in 1997 upon the suggestion of the political leaders meeting at an EU-Russia Summit. Since then, IRT provides a platform for business dialogue and has evolved into a full-fledged organisation that actively fosters discussions on bilateral economic relations.
Each year, the IRT invites business leaders, political decision makers and other stakeholders from the EU and Russia to an Annual Conference, where a wide range of topical business and industrial issues are debated.
IRT’s main mission is to:
- maintain a regular dialogue between the business communities and EU and Russian political leaders on relevant policy issues in EU-Russia economic relations
- develop joint recommendations aimed at improving conditions for mutual trade and investment, business cooperation and partnership in order to support the creation of an EU-Russia common economic space
- present the joint recommendations and other ad-hoc positions to policy makers, in particular the participants of the EU-Russia Summits
- participate in relevant public policy debates on the basis of the joint recommendations
- set up a structure of thriving Task Forces contributing to EU-Russia sectoral dialogues
The IRT's structure includes:
The IRT Council
The IRT Council is composed of prominent representatives of the EU and Russian business communities. The IRT Council meets regularly throughout the year to give strategic impetus to the IRT process in line with the IRT’s mission and advocates IRT Joint Recommendations towards high-level political decision makers.
IRT and the IRT Council are co-chaired by Anatoly Chubais, Director General of the Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies (RUSNANO) and Peter Löscher, President and CEO Siemens.
Click here to view the members of the IRT Council
IRT Task Forces
Under the IRT umbrella are a number of Task Forces that focus on different sectoral issues. This way, the Task Forces supplement the more general recommendations of the IRT Council.
Task Forces play a central role in achieving IRT’s objective to promote EU-Russia business and industrial dialogue. IRT Task Forces focus on specific industry sectors, each of them representing an important pillar in EU-Russia business relations.
Click here to learn more about the Task Forces
