Press

Brexit and external differentiation in foreign, security and defence policy

29 September 2020
EUIDEA
This paper examines the EU’s foreign, security and defence policy relations with third countries, and their relevance to the EU’s future co-operation with the UK in these areas.

CER/OSEPI podcast: The new migration pact: A "fresh start" or more of the same?

Camino Mortera-Martinez, Giulia Laganà
28 September 2020
The European Commission has unveiled its much-awaited ‘new migration pact’. But just how much of it is new? Will the EU finally agree on a common migration policy?

For UK's Boris Johnson, hardball tactics seem the only way to a Brexit deal

26 September 2020
The New York Times
The blockage seems to come from Mr. Johnson’s powerful adviser, Dominic Cummings, who sees no need for Britain to tie itself to any European rules and wants the freedom to subsidize the high-tech industries of the future, said Charles Grant, the director of the Centre for European Reform, a research institute. ...“Ultimately I think Boris Johnson wants a deal,” Mr. Grant said.

Good Morning Scotland: Kent lorry checks

26 September 2020
John Springford, deputy director of the CER spoke to Good Morning Scotland about the likelihood of a UK-EU trade deal, as well as how trade might be impacted by the plan around Kent and potential hold-ups for freight (from 32:06).

Trade experts raise fresh doubts over UK-US trade deal due to tax row

Sam Lowe
24 September 2020
City A.M
Sam Lowe, a trade policy adviser at the Centre for European Reform, said the Donald Trump administration sees the tax “as a discriminatory attack on US tech companies”. 
“It has already threatened retaliatory tariffs on British exports if it comes into effect,” he said.
“The US is unlikely to back down on the issue even if there is a Biden presidency, and is unlikely to strike a trade deal with the UK if it is in place.”
 

Die EU bleibt hart

23 September 2020
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Unabhängige Fachleute wie Charles Grant vom Londoner Centre for European Reform bleiben vorsichtig optimistisch. Er sieht Johnson unter „enormem Druck“, einen Deal möglich zu machen. Grant macht nicht nur „große Nervosität“ unter britischen Wirtschaftsführern aus. Viele Konservative, unter ihnen Minister, sorge vor allem die Lage in Schottland. Dort könnte der Drang zur Unabhängigkeit weiter wachsen, sollten die Verhandlungen mit Brüssel scheitern.

Do you think the UK really cares about getting a US trade deal?

Sam Lowe
21 September 2020
Financial Times
Despite a trade deal with the US being popular with many in the Conservative party, it does not appear to be a number one priority for Number 10.

CER submission to the British government's integratered view of security, defence, development and foreign policy

Ian Bond, Camino Mortera-Martinez, Luigi Scazzieri
21 September 2020
The CER's submission to the British government's security, defence, development and foreign policy review argues that to tackle diverse threats successfully, the UK must build strong partnerships with other democracies.

Rules of origin: A Brexit headache for UK exporters

Sam Lowe
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”.

No-deal hype obscures the real threat of a bad Brexit

Sam Lowe
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.

After fire at refugee camp, Europe faces a reckoning

Camino Mortera-Martinez
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.

CER podcast: What does the 2020 SOTEU speech reveal about the EU's ambition?

Charles Grant, Camino Mortera-Martinez, Christian Odendahl
18 September 2020
In this year's State of the Union address, Ursula von der Leyen laid out her plans for the EU's transition "from fragility to a new vitality".

Russia 1: Brexit developments

18 September 2020
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform spoke to Russia 1 about developments around Brexit: the introduction of the Internal Market Bill, the next stage of negotiations with Brussels and the perspective of a new trade agreement between the UK and the EU (from 3:20 mins).
 
 
 

Europe's economic revival is imperiled, raising the specter of a grinding downturn

Christian Odendahl
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.”

Agenda Exterior: la UE de Von der Leyen

Camino Mortera-Martinez
17 September 2020
POLÍTICA EXTERIOR
Con un discurso bastante largo, creo que Von der Leyen se dirigió especialmente a los tres partidos que la sostienen en el Parlamento Europeo, con el objetivo de seguir manteniendo el apoyo del grupo socialista y del grupo liberal.

'Brexit' y los rebeldes de Johnson: La vida sigue igual

Camino Mortera-Martinez
16 September 2020
El Periodico
El 'brexit' ha cambiado las reglas del tiempo y el espacio, de forma que las unidades de medida por las que nos regimos el resto de los mortales no parecen aplicarse a los políticos británicos.

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.

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.

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.

Channel 4 News: EU threatens to take UK government to court over proposed changes to Brexit deal

10 September 2020
"The real weapon of torture is the lack of a trade agreement, the economic impact on Britain,