Press
CER/OSEPI podcast: How should the EU tackle corruption?
05 August 2021
Camino Mortera-Martinez and Carl Dolan discuss European corruption and consider Katalin Cseh and Michiel van Hulten's remarks from a recent CER event.
House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee: Implications of the UK-Australia FTA for Wales
04 August 2021
House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee
Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform (CER), told us that “there is very little substantive threat to Welsh farmers as of now. Of course, circumstances in the future could change and we could see a big uptick in Australian exports of agri-food products to the UK.”
An entente cordiale with France beckons – once Macron has gone
04 August 2021
The Telegraph
“It was not the Americans who ended the siege of Sarajevo: it was the British and the French on the ground,” said Charles Grant from the Centre for European Reform.
Emmanuel Macron accused of stonewalling plans for Anglo-French summit
03 August 2021
The Times
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, said the French were “definitely annoyed with the Brits” and this had led to a reluctance to agree to the bridge-building exercise.“The British want a summit. The French say, ‘Great — so what should we talk about?’ The British say, ‘I don’t know — let’s have a summit.’ The French say, ‘No — we’ve got to have substance.’ ”
CBAM: What might an EU carbon-border adjustment mechanism mean for the UK?
03 August 2021
UK in a changing Europe
The EU wants to introduce a Carbon-Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to ensure that its efforts to combat climate change are effective, and do not just lead to European heavy industry relocating to jurisdictions with weaker climate rules.
Why are so many migrants coming to one of Europe's smallest countries? Blame Belarus, officials say
01 August 2021
The Washington Post
“These are 3,000 people who were flown from a country very far away and were just left on the border of the EU and that’s an entirely new phenomenon,” said Camino Mortera-Martinez, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. “Flying people in is a complete other level of aggression and retaliation.”
Covid realities temper optimism around eurozone growth
29 July 2021
Financial Times
“The post-pandemic boom will subside next year once everyone has done their pent-up spending but by then governments will reduce their fiscal spending,” says Christian Odendahl, the Berlin-based chief economist at the Centre for European Reform think-tank. “This reminds me of 2010 and 2011, when Germany and others switched to austerity too soon.”
The explosive Brexit spat that no one is talking about could slam the UK economy
28 July 2021
CNN
"In cases that involve victims of corporate human rights abuses, business-versus-consumer cases, and family law -- in those cases, the party that has more financial resources may try to introduce arguments about which country should be hearing the case, and whether a UK court judgment can be enforced," says Zach Meyers, a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform.
UK’s shadow chancellor promises Labour will repair trade ties with EU
26 July 2021
Financial Times
Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, argued that a Swiss-style deal of this kind would leave the UK “permanently bound to EU food hygiene rules”, but in return there would be no more need for export health certificates and other red tape.
Why would anyone trust Brexit Britain again?
24 July 2021
CNN
"Biden has a specific interest in Northern Ireland and its stability, and does view the UK as the antagonist in that discussion," said Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform.
"Ongoing disputes with the EU over Northern Ireland and threats to renege on commitments creates a problem with the US, but I'm not convinced it creates huge problems with any other countries," he added.
"Ongoing disputes with the EU over Northern Ireland and threats to renege on commitments creates a problem with the US, but I'm not convinced it creates huge problems with any other countries," he added.
CER podcast: The EU's climate action plan for 2030: What's inside the Fit for 55 package?
22 July 2021
Sam Lowe speaks to Elisabetta Cornago about what Fit for 55 could mean for EU and international climate action.
Europe Express: The Brexit stats gap
22 July 2021
Financial Times
Ask officials in Brussels and London how trade has changed and you may get two very different answers.
The rising cost of leaving the EU: £18bn blow in lost trade to Britain
22 July 2021
The Evening Standard
The Centre for European Reform estimates that leaving the single market and customs union at the end of December 2020 had reduced UK trade by £10 billion, or 13.5 per cent, in May. The think tank said this was on top of a £8 billion, or 10 per cent, hit to trade between the June 2016 referendum and splintering away from the single market.
ECB looks to keep rates low for longer
22 July 2021
The Wall Street Journal
“In truth, the ECB is not delivering on its new strategy,” said Christian Odendahl, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think tank. “It seems the ECB just wanted to wait for inflation to come, instead of pushing hard for it.”
Sky News: UK considers import taxes to combat 'carbon leakage' but wants global deal
21 July 2021
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, said: "In the real world we have to appreciate the EU is moving ahead unilaterally with its own carbon border adjustment mechanism, and we've seen a proposal from the Democrats in the US this week, of something similar."
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UK considers import taxes to combat 'carbon leakage' but wants global deal
21 July 2021
Sky News
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, said: "In the real world we have to appreciate the EU is moving ahead unilaterally with its own carbon border adjustment mechanism, and we've seen a proposal from the Democrats in the US this week, of something similar."
BBC Radio 4 PM: Northern Ireland protocol
21 July 2021
Sam Lowe a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform spoke to Evan Davis about today's proposal paper on the Northern Ireland protocol and what the British solution is to the impasse on GB-Northern Irealand trade.
Lagarde's strategy hints at new era of ECB teamwork with Germans
19 July 2021
Bloomberg
“As long as the ECB continues to expect too-low inflation, the new strategy would require it - strictly speaking - to loosen its policy,” said Christian Odendahl, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform in Berlin. “The true test of the negotiated consensus is still ahead.”
UK forced to reopen sensitive Ukraine trade pact after errors in text
18 July 2021
The Independent
Sam Lowe, senior fellow at the Centre for European Reform, said that mistakes in trade deals are “unfortunate but not entirely uncommon”. He added that it was “unsurprising that it had happened with a rollover agreement” because these have tended to include more copying and pasting of text than fresh deals.
Europe Express: Compromise on tech
16 July 2021
Financial Times
The US and EU working together has always been a delicate tightrope to walk, most recently epitomised by the EU’s now-delayed digital tax. The Centre for European Reform argues that the two powers should not seek regulatory harmonisation, but instead co-operate on semiconductors and the promotion of new sources of rare earths outside China.