Research
EU-Russia relations: Partnership on ice?
27 January 2014
The EU and Russia hold too many unproductive summits. The EU should defend its interests, instead of pretending that it has a partnership with Russia.
Why Europe should broaden its horizons in the Sahel
27 January 2014
The Sahel stretches from the Atlantic to the Red Sea, touching on 13 countries from Senegal to Eritrea. Turmoil is spreading across the region, putting European security interests at risk, yet Brussels is scrambling to respond.
The Great British trade-off: The impact of leaving the EU on the UK's trade and investment
20 January 2014
Eurosceptics think Britain can leave the EU and still have access to its markets. But to do so, Britain will have to sign up to EU rules.
Climate policies are more important than targets
17 January 2014
The EU should set ambitious 2030 targets for carbon reduction and renewables. And it should adopt strong binding measures on energy efficiency.
The EU and defence procurement
15 January 2014
Against a background of falling European defence budgets, the European Commission has sought to increase the efficiency of the European defence market by reducing barriers to intra-EU defence trade and by encouraging competition.
Gas on troubled waters?
13 January 2014
Cyprus must find a way to export its natural gas. A grand bargain with Israel and Turkey would improve politics in the region and benefit Europe.
Running into the sand? The EU's faltering response to the Arab revolutions
18 December 2013
A new, pragmatic approach to the southern neighbourhood is needed if the EU wants to address the political, economic, social and security challenges following the Arab Spring.
What Germany's new coalition government means for the EU
16 December 2013
Germany finally has a new government. The coalition agreement may be underwhelming, but it tells us little about how Germany will response to future challenges.
Not flashy but effective: Closer EU co-operation in defence investments
13 December 2013
This month, European leaders will discuss how to strengthen EU military co-operation. It is the first time that defence has been on the European Council’s agenda since 2008and EU officials had hoped the member-states would unveil bold initiatives to stem the deterioration of their armed forces.
The Eastern Partnership: The road from Vilnius leads to ...?
09 December 2013
The EU's Eastern Partners are increasingly heterogeneous. Reform-minded Georgia and Moldova deserve support; Ukraine needs tough love. The EU should stand up to Russian pressure.
David Cameron and EU migration: Nasty, visionary – or just necessary?
05 December 2013
David Cameron is more style than substance on EU migration. But a wider European debate on managing the free movement of people has merit.
Issue 93 - 2013
29 November 2013
- Fail to plan, plan to fail: European security and defence, Ian Bond
- Why Germany’s trade surplus is bad for the eurozone, John Springford, Simon Tilford
- On target, off track: Europe’s failure to protect the climate, Stephen Tindale
Fail to plan, plan to fail: European security and defence
29 November 2013
In December, EU leaders will discuss defence. Instead of wrangling over capability shortfalls, they should first agree what they want to achieve, and how.
Why Germany’s trade surplus is bad for the eurozone
29 November 2013
In late October, the US singled out Germany as a threat to the global economy. The Treasury issued a report saying that Germany’s current account surplus – now around 7 per cent of GDP – imposes "a deflationary bias for the eurozone as well as for the world economy."
On target, off track: Europe’s failure to protect the climate
29 November 2013
Europe likes to see itself as a leader in attempts to control climate change. But it is not. The EU's own greenhouse gas emissions are falling. However, that is due to de-industrialisation and the fact that so many of the goods Europeans consume are now manufactured in China or India.
The EU's 'yellow card' comes of age: Subsidiarity unbound?
12 November 2013
National parliamentarians' rejection of a proposed prosecutor for the EU marks their arrival as serious players in how the Union is governed.
CSDP between internal constraints and external challenges
31 October 2013
EU Institute for Security Studies
Improving Europe's military and civilian capabilities in a shifting security environment represents a major challenge for the EU and its member-states.
Europe should regulate to promote carbon capture and storage
30 October 2013
The EU should give grants to coal and gas carbon capture and storage demonstration projects, and regulate to require coal plants to use this technology.
Britain is held back by its business culture, not the EU
28 October 2013
Britain's big competitiveness problem is not red tape, business taxes or the EU but business short-termism, and the system of corporate governance that encourages it.
Ukraine: Edging towards the EU?
24 October 2013
If Ukraine signs an EU Association Agreement next month, that is only the start. Implementing it will take hard work from Kyiv and support from Brussels.