Press
Boris Johnson to visit India in January in bid to transform G7
15 December 2020
The Guardian
Rory Stewart, the former foreign office minister, told a Centre for European Reform event last week that the idea of “a big boys’ club of democracies” could spell “big trouble”, since it will be seen as democracies against China.
German economy hit hard as abrupt lockdown strikes fresh blow
14 December 2020
Bloomberg
The latest numbers show that imposing a painful lockdown early is better than a series of softer stop-and-go measures, said Christian Odendahl, the Berlin-based chief economist of the Centre for European Reform.“Containing the virus effectively and in a timely fashion is what’s best for the economy in the medium run,” he said.
Los desafíos internos acechan a Merkel
14 December 2020
El Pais
“Hemos perdido cinco semanas. Deberíamos haber optado por un cierre total desde mediados de octubre o antes. Merkel era perfectamente consciente, pero no se ha creado el clima necesario para que la población aceptara las medidas en una fase temprana”, interpreta Christian Odendahl, economista jefe del Centre for European Reform.
Ireland faces a Brexit day of reckoning – deal or no deal
13 December 2020
The Telegraph
Sam Lowe, an economist at the Centre for European Reform, agrees. He says: “After the UK, Ireland is the European economy most exposed to Brexit in general, no matter what the type of Brexit.
FT Podcast Payne's Politics: Time running out for Brexit trade deal
12 December 2020
With negotiations on a Brexit trade deal between the UK and EU stalled again, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warning of a no-deal outcome, can the process be salvaged? Plus, with the Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland resolved this week in a new protocol, has the threat of a...
Bloomberg - European Close: Brexit and the recovery fund
11 December 2020
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform spoke to Bloomberg about the recovery fund resolution and his fears that Europe will struggle to fill Angela Merkel's role as mediator when she stands down next year.
Brexit and trade: Implications for Wales
11 December 2020
House of Commons
In his evidence to our inquiry, Sam Lowe, Centre for European Reform, also emphasised the importance of a trade agreement with the EU, in particular for agriculture, as high tariffs would apply to beef, lamb and other areas if trading with the EU on WTO terms: We just have to be blunt about it.
Politico Playbook interview: Sam Lowe
11 December 2020
Politico London Playbook
The Centre for European Reform’s senior research fellow Sam Lowe made the (relative) case for optimism about the UK and EU’s ability to reach a deal all the way back in March.
Britain faces a no-deal crash-out: even ultra-Brexiters said this would be a disaster
11 December 2020
The Guardian
“It’s because it’s Europe,” says trade analyst Sam Lowe of the Centre for European Reform. Ultimately, he’s concluded, this isn’t about tariffs and barriers, but something far more visceral. “They’re annoyed we’re in Europe’s vicinity.” If they could move Britain physically further away from the continent, they would. They long to be free of its taint.
Boris Johnson once mocked the eurocrats of Brussels. They haven’t forgotten
10 December 2020
The New York Times
“He left [Brussels] in 1994 and he’s not been back very much since,” said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, a research institute, who, as a correspondent for The Economist, competed against Mr Johnson.“He’s anathema to most EU politicians, who see him as personally to blame for Brexit, so he doesn’t have much of a network there,” Mr Grant added.
Impasse in Brexit trade deal talks is fixable, say experts
10 December 2020
Financial Times
Sam Lowe of the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank, said a possible solution would be an agreement where UK regulations would only have to be “equivalent”, or equal in effect to those in the EU, rather than having precisely the same text. “Focusing on the actual competitive advantage to businesses rather than the formal regulations would allow Britain to claim victory in the negotiations while also reassuring the EU about its core concern,” he added.
CER podcast: Can the EU bring its neighbouring countries further into its orbit?
10 December 2020
Katherine Pye spoke to Katarína Mathernová about the EU's relations with Eastern Partnership countries.
US trade deal: Charm offensive to win over Joe Biden begins as UK suspends tariffs
09 December 2020
Express
Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform, described the UK's decision as "broadly sensible". He said: "If it helps lead to a negotiated settlement that’s great; if not can always re-impose the tariffs in future."
Channel 4 News: Boris Johnson in direct talks with EU as deadline looms
08 December 2020
"The British still seem to think that if only they can talk to Merkel or Macron the governments can lean on that silly Mr Barnier to be more flexible, when in fact it's the governments that are pushing Mr Barnier to be less flexible in many ways,
Times Radio: Irish border
08 December 2020
Sam Lowe spoke to Jon Pienaar about why he's hopeful the tone of UK-EU talks will change now the Irish border management question seems to be settling down.
Sky News: Brexit talks - EU sources say UK and EU have made "significant progress"
07 December 2020
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform spoke to Sky News about the ongoing Brexit talks (from 06.32am).
BBC Radio 4 - Today Programme: Brexit talks
07 December 2020
Sam Lowe a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform spoke to Nick Robinson about the UK's choices: either accept tariffs on day one, when there isn't a deal, or risk them being imposed in future if it breaches commitments.
BBC News: Brexit: PM talks with EU chief
07 December 2020
Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at ther CER spoke to BBC News about why the UK's provisional willingness to remove some Internal Market Bill clauses could spell good news for a UK-EU trade deal.
BBC Radio Scotland: Brexit talks - trade deal?
07 December 2020
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the CER, spoke to BBC Radio Scotland this lunchtime about why we should be realistic about what a UK-EU trade deal can achieve, but the importance of one nonetheless.
Fears that UK will not cope with Brexit and Covid vaccine rollout
06 December 2020
The Observer
As Sam Lowe, a former member of the Department for International Trade’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group, now a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, says, there is a possibility that the two issues will intersect and collide, making matters worse. “There are going to be delays at the borders and it is going to take the EU and UK a while to get used to trading under the new system and it is possible that imported equipment necessary for dealing with the pandemic gets caught up in that,” says Lowe.