In the Press - Brexit fury: Boris and Varadkar set to clash over UK-Ireland customs infrastructure
21 May 2020
The Express
Centre for European Reform research fellow Sam Lowe added: “The British request to have British qualifications recognised by default, subject to terms and conditions, goes far beyond the EU-Japan deal, or the CETA deal with Canada.“This is not necessarily impossible but it is not the kind of things the EU hands readily in its free trade agreements.”
In the Press - UK: Brexit trade deal demands 'go beyond' other EU agreements
20 May 2020
City A.M
Centre for European Reform research fellow Sam Lowe added: “The British request to have British qualifications recognised by default, subject to terms and conditions, goes far beyond the EU-Japan deal, or the Ceta deal with Canada.
“This is not necessarily impossible but it is not the kind of things the EU hands readily in its free trade agreements.”
“This is not necessarily impossible but it is not the kind of things the EU hands readily in its free trade agreements.”
In the Press - To burn or not to burn? Waste and bridges
20 May 2020
Interfax
But interestingly, a few days ago, an article was released in London about how Covid-19 is transforming how the European Union works, by Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform. Despite the fact that the UK has left the EU, Grant remains one of the most informed and acute experts and he highlights the following as what he sees as undesirable trends for Europe:
In the Press - Britain’s vision for EU trade deal prompts claims of cherry picking
19 May 2020
Financial Times
“The British request to have British qualifications recognised by default, subject to terms and conditions, goes far beyond the EU-Japan deal, or the Ceta deal with Canada,” said Sam Lowe of the Centre for European Reform.“This is not necessarily impossible but it is not the kind of things the EU hands readily in its free trade agreements.”
In the Press - UK post-Brexit trade plan cuts tariffs but highlights EU risks
19 May 2020
Bloomberg
An advantage of the U.K.’s announcement is that it helps its ongoing trade negotiations with the EU, the U.S and Japan, because it makes clear what the default duties would be if no agreement is reached in these talks, according to Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform.Britain’s plan also marks a walk-back from the temporary tariff schedule it proposed in the event of a no-deal Brexit last year, which would have seen 87% of U.K. imports made tariff-free. That proposal was criticized for giving away too much British leverage in future trade talks.
In the Press - UK plan to cut US farming tariffs sparks ministerial spat
14 May 2020
Financial Times
Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform think-tank, said a “big offer” on agriculture would be necessary to make any trade deal acceptable to the Trump administration and US Congress. “The US has long seen its beef, chicken and pork shut out of European markets because of high tariffs and restrictive regulations. If the UK is able to table an offer that deals with all of these concerns, then a trade deal can be done,” he said, adding that such concessions “might prove controversial with British farmers and consumers”.
In the Press - The virus isn't the only problem for Germany's nose-diving economy
14 May 2020
Bloomberg Quint
“The fiscal consolidation over the last 10 years has not increased our ability to weather this crisis,” said Christian Odendahl, the Berlin-based chief economist at the Centre for European Reform. “We refrained from going on a massive spending spree or lowering taxes massively. For the health of the European and world economy, we probably should have done both.”
In the Press - Brexit civlil war: Boris faces unexpected crisis as top team SPLINTERS over US trade deal
14 May 2020
The Express
Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform think-tank, said a trade deal could be done with the Trump administration if there was a “big offer” on agriculture.
In the Press - European Union diplomats face the enemy within
13 May 2020
Politico
Ian Bond, a former British diplomat who is director of foreign policy at the Centre for European Reform, a think tank, said it would be hard for the EEAS to take a firmer line on China — given that foreign policy decisions need unanimous agreement at EU level."You're always going to be stuck with the lowest common denominator," said Bond.Individual member countries have also been reluctant to take a tough line with Beijing, on which they are increasingly economically dependent, he said.
In the Press - Spending on Covid-19 crisis may blow apart EU defence ambitions
13 May 2020
Yahoo News
“The proposed cuts to the EU’s defence budget will not put an end to the EU’s ambitions,” says Sophia Besch, a research fellow focusing on defence and security policy at the Centre for European Reform.“But they show that, on defence, the union is only as effective as member-states allow it to be.”