The EU-Russia Industrialists’ Roundtable (IRT) is a business platform composed of leaders of companies from the EU and Russia.

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. On this basis, the IRT gives business recommendations to policy makers in the EU and Russia.

Our Vision

The IRT vision of an integrated EU-Russia common economic area

An integrated EU-Russia common economic area should provide a rules-based framework for mutual trade and investment, which will generate a win-win partnership ensuring fair competition and freedom of cross-border movement for professionals.

This vision can only be built on a broad and comprehensive free trade agreement, based on WTO membership, which includes implementation of the following elements:

• Substantially fewer trade obstacles for bilateral trade in goods and services than required by the WTO (“WTO+”). As a rule, tariffs should be abolished and quotas and all other export and import restrictions discontinued
• Approximation of economic regulations and standards around transparent, predictable, proportionate and fact-based regulation and international approaches to standards
• An open, transparent and non-discriminatory regime to encourage and protect mutual investment with full transparency and sustainability based on national treatment
• Robust enforcement of intellectual property rules
• Effective dispute settlement and mediation mechanisms