Single market, competition & trade
The EU-UK trade and co-operation agreement: A platform on which to build?
12 January 2021
The new trade deal between the EU and the UK could be improved upon over time, but that is not a given. It could also crumble away.
Ten reflections on a sovereignty-first Brexit
28 December 2020
The UK-EU trade deal prioritises sovereignty over economics. Politicians will soon be talking about how to improve the deal. Very little about the UK’s long-term relationship with the EU has been settled.
Navigating accidental illegality
30 November 2020
Next year many companies selling goods or services between the UK and EU will inadvertently break some rule or other. But the immediate consequences of their inevitable infractions remain uncertain.
Bulletin issue 135 - December 2020/January 2021
30 November 2020
- Can Biden mend Trump's foreign policy mess?, Ian Bond
- Navigating accidental illegality, Sam Lowe
- Turkey rising?, Luigi Scazzieri
What would a Biden presidency mean for US-EU trade relations?
28 October 2020
Joe Biden in the White House would remove the threat of a US-EU trade war from the table, and open up new areas for co-operation.
A tale of batteries, Brexit and EU strategic autonomy
23 October 2020
Recently leaked proposals suggest the EU wants to use the EU-UK trade deal to help on-shore an electric vehicle supply chain.
Brexit and COVID-19 are a toxic mix
15 October 2020
The second wave of COVID-19 is arriving just before the UK leaves the single market. The pandemic will make it harder for the economy to adjust to Brexit.
Bulletin issue 134 - October/November 2020
30 September 2020
- A trade deal would give the City of London breathing space, John Springford
- Will the coronavirus pandemic deliver a coup de grâce to Schengen?, Camino Mortera-Martinez
- Can the EU's Strategic Compass steer European defence?, Luigi Scazzieri
A trade deal would give the City of London breathing space
30 September 2020
The EU’s decisions on financial equivalence for the UK are formally separate from the trade deal under negotiation. But in reality, the two are linked.
A terrible border is reborn? Ireland and a no-deal Brexit
25 September 2020
If the UK fails to reach a trade deal with the EU, and does not implement the special arrangements for Northern Ireland agreed in the Withdrawal Agreement, Ireland faces the prospect of a hard land border being reborn.
Europe, the US and China: A love-hate triangle?
21 September 2020
The EU risks being caught between an increasingly hostile US and China. It must manage relations with both in order to protect the rules-based global order.
Is development aid a victim of the EU budget deal?
15 September 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has hindered the Commission’s plans to reform its development policy. But though the EU will provide less external assistance than planned, its administration can be improved.
Five reasons why even a basic EU-UK trade deal is better than nothing
18 August 2020
A deal would avoid tariffs, unlock supplementary benefits, allow for EU and UK customs co-operation, ensure the Northern Ireland protocol is implemented sustainably
Is the US or Europe more resilient to COVID-19?
04 August 2020
COVID-19 has exposed the lack of risk-sharing between US citizens. But Europeans should not be complacent: a permanent and more automatic fiscal union may be needed to secure 'the European way of life'.
To V or not to V
27 July 2020
The debate over the shape of the economic recovery continues. But recent medical advances should tilt governments towards continued support for workers and companies, because the pandemic may be over sooner than they had feared.
Bulletin issue 133 - August/September 2020
27 July 2020
- Will Germany rethink defence, too?, Sophia Besch, Christian Odendahl
- To V or not to V, John Springford
- What future for a 'geopolitical' Europe?, Luigi Scazzieri
EU efforts to level the playing field are not risk-free
16 July 2020
The EU believes other countries are taking advantage of its relative economic openness. However, unilateral action to level the playing field risks provoking retaliation and the EU will need to tread carefully.
EU-UK negotiations: No need to panic (yet)
12 June 2020
A deal between the EU and UK remains possible. But neither side is likely to compromise on its current negotiating position until later in the year, when the cost of failure will become significantly more tangible.
Bulletin issue 132 - June/July 2020
29 May 2020
- Securing Europe's medical supply chains against future shocks, Sam Lowe
- The recovery fund faces a tricky passage, Christian Odendahl, John Springford
- Trump's COVID-19 response is deepening the transatlantic rift, Luigi Scazzieri
Securing Europe's medical supply chains against future shocks
29 May 2020
European policy-makers should not give in to the temptation to use the COVID-19 pandemic to justify the forced onshoring of medical supply chains. Better options are available.