Single market, competition & trade
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.
Three ways COVID-19 will cause economic divergence in Europe
21 May 2020
Europe's economies will diverge further as a result of COVID-19, as the economic impact will be larger in Southern Europe. Fiscal transfers would help to restart the EU's 'convergence machine'.
How to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol
14 May 2020
The UK must face up to its responsibilities and work with the EU to ensure goods can move as freely as possible between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Why the UK should extend the transition period
20 April 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic means the UK should request a transition extension as a matter of urgency. To do otherwise would be unnecessarily reckless.
A proposal for a coronabond: The Pandemic Solidarity Instrument
06 April 2020
The economic hit is so severe, and the demands on fiscal policy so high, that the EU needs to share the burden between stronger and weaker countries.
Bulletin issue 131 - April/May 2020
26 March 2020
- The two economic stages of coronavirus, Christian Odendahl, John Springford
- Turkey and the EU: Preserving transactional co-operation, Luigi Scazzieri
- Can the EU's defence ambitions survive budget cuts?, Sophia Besch
The two economic stages of coronavirus
26 March 2020
European policy-makers must offset the huge costs of containing the virus, while keeping debt sustainable in all eurozone member-states. But they also need a plan to stimulate a V-shaped recovery.
Bold policies needed to counter the coronavirus recession
10 March 2020
The COVID-19 crisis is serious, and will have severe economic consequences. But if matched by aggressive action from fiscal and monetary authorities, the economic fallout is manageable.
Should the EU develop 'European champions' to fend off Chinese competition?
05 March 2020
China is distorting world trade through its aggressive industrial policy. But fostering ‘European champions’ in order to compete is premature – and risky.
The future EU-UK relationship and the (relative) case for optimism
02 March 2020
Beyond the headline disagreements, both the EU and UK have similar expectations as to what a future free trade agreement can and cannot deliver.
Can France and Germany steer Europe to success? Annual report 2019
06 February 2020
The CER's annual report features an essay on the state Franco-German friendship. It also describes some of the CER’s achievements in 2019, including the increasingly prominent role played by our Brussels and Berlin offices.
Priorities for 'Global Britain'
27 January 2020
While the British government talks a good game on free trade and openness, it has failed to articulate what it actually wants and why. This will need to change.
Flexibility does not come for free
16 January 2020
An EU-UK free trade agreement will result in new barriers to trade and border friction even if the UK chooses to unilaterally align itself with EU rules and regulations.
Conference report: Five challenges for Europe
16 December 2019
A new CER report summarises its 2019 Ditchley Park conference, which brought together 50 leading economists to discuss 'Five challenges for Europe'.
Bulletin issue 129 - December 2019/January 2020
28 November 2019
- How should the EU 'get Brexit done'?, Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
- How economically damaging will Brexit be?, John Springford
- Defence without direction, Sophia Besch
How economically damaging will Brexit be?
28 November 2019
Forecasts of the long-term hit from Boris Johnson’s Brexit range from 2 to 7 per cent. There are several reasons to fear that that the costs will be on the higher side.
What a Boris Johnson EU-UK free trade agreement means for business
05 November 2019
Johnson's EU-UK free trade agreement would increase friction and costs of trading with the EU. Many businesses would find adapting to a new FTA just as troublesome as if the UK had crashed out without a deal.
The EU budget needs climate-proofing
04 November 2019
Greenhouse gas emissions from Europe’s farms have been flat since 2005. The Common Agricultural Policy, which consumes 37 per cent of the EU’s budget, subsidises a sector that needs to clean up its act.
The EU should reconsider its approach to trade and sustainable development
31 October 2019
In specific circumstances, the EU should make trade concessions contingent on partner countries meeting international environmental and labour standards.
Choppy waters ahead for EU trade policy
30 September 2019
The strategic case for new EU free trade agreements is strong. But delivering them requires accommodating the European Parliament and winning over an inwardly focused agriculture lobby.