Research

High energy prices threaten the EU emissions trading system

High energy prices threaten the EU emissions trading system

23 March 2022
EU member-states should not stop the expansion of emissions trading to keep a lid on energy prices. Instead, they should increase income support for poorer households and incentives for green investment.
Russia's war on Ukraine: There is worse to come (for the West as well)

Russia's war on Ukraine: There is worse to come (for the West as well)

Ian Bond, Elisabetta Cornago, Camino Mortera-Martinez, Luigi Scazzieri
17 March 2022
The EU has reacted robustly to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. But it must now mitigate the economic, social and political consequences, which will hit ordinary citizens and challenge Western cohesion.
The cost of Brexit: December 2021

The cost of Brexit: December 2021

10 March 2022
By December 2021, leaving the single market and customs union had reduced UK goods trade by 14.9 per cent. And new analysis shows that UK exports have taken a larger hit than imports.

Russia-Ukraine: The West needs a sanctions strategy

10 March 2022
After the initial flurry of sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, Western leaders now need to take a more strategic approach.
How to make the new emissions trading system work for consumers

How to make the new emissions trading system work for consumers

04 March 2022
Extending the Emissions Trading System to buildings and road transport can cut emissions and help poor households if all revenues are devoted to income support and green investment.
Four questions on how the Russian assault on Ukraine will affect Europe

Four questions on how the Russian assault on Ukraine will affect Europe

Sophia Besch, Ian Bond, Camino Mortera-Martinez, Luigi Scazzieri
01 March 2022
CER experts provide answers on the off-ramp for Putin, Germany’s defence spending, how to deal with refugees, the internal battle over the rule of law and the impact on the EU’s neighbourhood. 
Stronger sanctions on Russia: Essential, but not a strategy

Stronger sanctions on Russia: Essential, but not a strategy

25 February 2022
The West is rightly responding to Putin’s all-out attack on Ukraine’s territorial integrity with sanctions. But they need to be part of a wider strategy to ensure that he cannot win.
Could EU-endorsed 'coalitions of the willing' strengthen EU security policy?

Could EU-endorsed 'coalitions of the willing' strengthen EU security policy?

09 February 2022
The EU could be a more effective security provider if it mandated operations by coalitions of willing member-states, but that requires consensus.

How the world has changed in 25 years: Annual report 2021

07 February 2022
The CER has been in business for about a quarter of a century – we published our first pamphlets in 1996 and opened our London office in 1998.

Ditchley conference report: The politics of climate change

02 February 2022
Climate change is as much a political problem as a technological one, and the CER's annual economics conference focused on ways to overcome inertia, denial and myopia.
Why big business may learn to love EU competition policy

Why big business may learn to love EU competition policy

01 February 2022
Big multinationals sometimes criticise the EU’s competition policy, which is more aggressive than America’s. But in the long term, Brussels’ approach could prove more balanced and predictable than Washington’s.
The EU should remove tariffs on environmental goods

The EU should remove tariffs on environmental goods

John Springford, Sam Lowe
27 January 2022
Multilateral negotiations over free trade in environmental goods collapsed in 2014. The EU should try again – and reduce tariffs unilaterally if talks fail.

Is there a future for the EU's area of freedom, security and justice? A plan to build back trust

Camino Mortera-Martinez
26 January 2022
The EU needs a new plan to deal with its migration, security and rule of law problems all at once.

How the Digital Markets Act will challenge consumers

24 January 2022
The European Parliament’s proposals to tame big tech will challenge consumers. Some of these proposals will promote innovation – but law-makers should drop proposals which will stifle it.

Transatlantic turmoil is not over

Megan Ferrando, Luigi Scazzieri
24 January 2022
The US might be ‘back’, but sources of friction with Europe persist. And in 2022, Europeans should expect an inward-looking America as Biden focuses on domestic issues prior to the mid-term elections.

Britain needs a new Russia policy

Ian Bond, Duncan Allan
24 January 2022
The British government, once naively optimistic about Russia, has become more hard-nosed in its analysis. It should now do more to pursue a coherent Russia strategy with like-minded countries. 
What Italy's Presidential election means for Europe

What Italy's Presidential election means for Europe

18 January 2022
The election of a new Italian president could threaten the survival of Mario Draghi’s government of national unity, and will mark the beginning of the 2023 general election campaign. 
How carbon pricing can decarbonise European heavy industry

How carbon pricing can decarbonise European heavy industry

13 January 2022
To decarbonise heavy industry, the EU needs a high and stable carbon price, an end to free emission permits, a level-playing field with foreign competitors, and support for green investment.

No pain, no gain? The Digital Markets Act

10 January 2022
The EU's upcoming rules for big tech will degrade some digital services to improve long-term competition and innovation. The trade-off is justified – but law-makers must keep consumers on-side.