In the Press - After fire at refugee camp, Europe faces a reckoning
18 September 2020
The New York Times
“The fire at Moria has shifted public attention to the dire conditions of Greece’s refugee camps,’’ said Camino Mortera-Martinez, a senior analyst with the Centre for European Reform, a think tank, noting that the problem is not new.
In the Press - No-deal hype obscures the real threat of a bad Brexit
18 September 2020
Financial Times
This is a harder Brexit than most supporters voted for in 2016, and a harder Brexit than many people can make sense of now. After so many threats of catastrophe over the past four years, businesses have “boy who cried wolf” syndrome, says Sam Lowe, of the Centre for European Reform think-tank. But the bumps are coming.
In the Press - Rules of origin: A Brexit headache for UK exporters
18 September 2020
Global Trade Review
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform (CER) think tank, says he doubts extended cumulation would actually lead to the UK becoming an offshore manufacturing hub – not least because “there are still many other additional costs that come with producing in the UK, rather than the EU, if you’re selling to the European market”.
In the Press - Europe's economic revival is imperiled, raising the specter of a grinding downturn
17 September 2020
The New York Times
“The rich countries have shown they are willing to put their credibility on the line to support the others,” said Christian Odendahl, the Berlin-based chief economist at the Centre for European Reform. “That will stabilize expectations about the European economy going forward.”
In the Press - Brexit warning: EU to unleash onslaught of 'torture weapons' to push UK into stand down
11 September 2020
Express
Charles Grant from the Centre for European Reform said: "The real torture weapon isn't actually the thing in the Court of Justice, which I don't think will scare Boris Johnson too much."The real weapon of torture is the lack of a trade agreement, the economic impact on Britain, the psychological impact on the British economy of there not being any agreement, the impact on financial markets, which will react very, very negatively.
In the Press - Brexit: EU will 'not be shy' in taking legal action if UK put Northern Ireland peace deal at risk
11 September 2020
Euronews
According to Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform (CER) think-tank, the UK government's draft bill, if passed by parliament, would have several consequences including a flare-up of violence on the Irish island, increased support for Scottish independence and a loss of legitimacy on the global stage with regards to respect for international law. He also predicts that London's relations with both Brussels and Washington will sour.
In the Press - Brexit Bulletin: What if Boris Johnson means it?
11 September 2020
Bloomberg
Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform sees 10 potential consequences if the UK pushes ahead with its current plan.
In the Press - What no-deal Brexit means, how it might happen, and how it might affect daily life in the UK
10 September 2020
The Telegraph
Charles Grant, the director of the Centre for European Reform, is confident that if the crunch comes EU member states will strike bilateral side-deals with the UK to cushion the blow. “For now the Commission is taking a strong line, but EU member states will have to look after their own interests”, he predicts.
In the Press - Why Boris Johnson is considering a no-deal Brexit for a bruised economy
08 September 2020
Financial Times
Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform and an adviser to the UK government, says a no-deal exit would also complicate other aspects of Britain’s dealings with the EU, tarnishing relations for years to come.
In the Press - As Brexit deadlines loom, the posturing and bickering flare again
07 September 2020
The New York Times
“They would say: ‘You’re refusing to implement the agreement we already have. How we can negotiate a new agreement with you?’ ” said Sam Lowe, an expert on trade at the Centre for European Reform, a research group in London. British officials played down suggestions that they plan to rip up the agreement.