Research

Sticking to the rules will not rescue the eurozone file thumbnail

Sticking to the rules will not rescue the eurozone

Philip Whyte
28 September 2011
Most events have an official – or at any rate widely accepted – narrative. In much of Europe, the narrative of the eurozone crisis goes something like this: this is not a crisis of the eurozone, which has been a success.
Has Europe given up on fighting climate change? file thumbnail

Has Europe given up on fighting climate change?

Stephen Tindale
28 September 2011
The EU has long prided itself on leading international efforts to control climate change. Today, the issue is nowhere near the top of the EU’s agenda, having been eclipsed by the economic downturn and the eurozone debt crisis.
Merkel's euro shackles

Merkel's euro shackles

Katinka Barysch
28 September 2011
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s apparent inability or unwillingness to take bold steps could sink the euro. Yet is it even realistic to expect her to overcome growing opposition from within her own coalition government, a hostile public mood and the red lines drawn by a powerful constitutional court? Merkel cannot...
The euro: Reaching the endgame?

The euro: Reaching the endgame?

Simon Tilford
19 September 2011
Eurozone policy-makers have dug in their feet, preferring to deepen the crisis than admit their mistakes. Unless reason trumps moral posturing soon, dissolution of the eurozone is inevitable.
Green, safe, cheap: Where next for EU energy policy?

Green, safe, cheap: Where next for EU energy policy?

Stephen Tindale, Christof van Agt, Václav Bartuška, Katinka Barysch, Jonathan Gaventa, Connie Hedegaard, Dieter Helm, Maïté Jauréguy-Naudin, Agata Łoskot-Strachota, Nick Mabey, Günther Oettinger, Pernille Schiellerup, Stephen Tindale, Frank Umbach, Georg Zachmann
09 September 2011
Is the EU's policy on renewables damaging the single market? Why do Europeans not use energy more efficiently? Is the EU's gas policy too obsessed with Russia?
What Libya says about future NATO operations

What Libya says about future NATO operations

Tomas Valasek
26 August 2011
In Libya, the Europeans have for the first time responded to Washington's calls to assume responsibility for their neighbourhood. This should be cause for cautious optimism about NATO.
The US and the EU should support the Palestinian bid for UN membership

The US and the EU should support the Palestinian bid for UN membership

Clara Marina O'Donnell
25 August 2011
The US and the EU should support the Palestinian request for UN recognition. If framed constructively, the Palestinian initiative can strengthen the prospects for peace.
soldiers

Race to the bottom

Tomas Valasek
24 August 2011
For decades, European countries cut defence budgets with little worry. The United States kept enough troops on the continent to deter all potential enemies, almost irrespective of how small European militaries became.
Eurozone crisis: Can contagion to Italy be arrested?

Eurozone crisis: Can contagion to Italy be arrested?

Philip Whyte
05 August 2011
The eurozone's debt crisis has spread to Italy. It is becoming increasingly doubtful that much-needed domestic economic reforms will be sufficient to restore market confidence in the country.
Euro

Was the euro summit a game changer?

Philip Whyte
01 August 2011
The pattern is now familiar. After prolonged and very public bickering, European leaders convene in Brussels to try and restore flagging confidence in the eurozone.
Europe

Europe's date with destiny

Hugo Brady
01 August 2011
Many people have quietly given up on the European Union. Not too long ago, Europe struggled long and hard to ratify the Lisbon treaty – now barely mentioned.
Gadaffi

Britain draws the wrong lessons from Libya

Clara Marina O'Donnell
01 August 2011
When it comes to defence, the United Kingdom is giving up on the EU. For most Britons, the war in Libya has confirmed that the majority of European countries are simply not serious about defence.
What Libya says about the future of the transatlantic alliance

What Libya says about the future of the transatlantic alliance

Tomas Valasek
29 July 2011
Libya is the first war fought according to Barack Obama's rules, with the United States taking a back seat. The Europeans responded well: by taking decisive military action to maintain the stability of their neighbourhood.
Britain, Ireland and Schengen: Time for a smarter bargain on visas

Britain, Ireland and Schengen: Time for a smarter bargain on visas

Michael Emerson
28 July 2011
Travellers to the Schengen area – the EU's passport-free travel zone – can move freely between most EU countries but need separate visas for Britain and Ireland, which maintain their own border controls.

Why the eurozone needs debt mutualisation

Simon Tilford
28 July 2011
The attempt to run a common monetary policy without a common treasury has failed. Debt mutualisation is necessary if the eurozone is to survive.
Marine Le Pen and the rise of populism

Marine Le Pen and the rise of populism

20 July 2011
Marine Le Pen's anti-EU populism resonates in much of northern Europe. Debating the CER's director, Charles Grant, she claimed she was neither left nor right.
Repowering communities

Repowering communities: Small-scale solutions to large-scale energy problems Energy policy is at a crossroads

Stephen Tindale, Prashant Vaze
11 July 2011
Attempts to meet targets for carbon emissions, energy security and affordable energy for vulnerable households are all on a trajectory to failure.
The new EU budget: A missed opportunity thumbnail

The new EU budget: A missed opportunity

Stephen Tindale
11 July 2011
The Commission's proposals for the EU's 2014-2020 budgets are a missed opportunity, representing no substantial change. Spending on agriculture should be greatly reduced, that on cohesion re-focused and that on climate greatly increased.