Research
Ten reflections on a sovereignty-first Brexit
28 December 2020
The UK-EU trade deal prioritises sovereignty over economics. Politicians will soon be talking about how to improve the deal. Very little about the UK’s long-term relationship with the EU has been settled.
Deadly coronavirus, domineering China and divided America: What the new geopolitics means for Europe
17 December 2020
Trump's presidency and COVID-19 have destabilised geopolitics, creating problems for the US and the EU, while strengthening China.
European strategic autonomy and a new transatlantic bargain
11 December 2020
The distinction between a European path and a transatlantic path in European defence is misguided. Europeans should focus on improving their capabilities and developing a common strategic outlook.
Europe needs a strong Africa, but will it work to achieve one?
03 December 2020
The massive problems created by COVID-19 in Africa offer Europe a chance to promote a new partnership. But upgrading the relationship will require the EU to confront both illicit financial flows and a looming debt crisis.
Bulletin issue 135 - December 2020/January 2021
30 November 2020
- Can Biden mend Trump's foreign policy mess?, Ian Bond
- Navigating accidental illegality, Sam Lowe
- Turkey rising?, Luigi Scazzieri
Post-Brexit foreign, security and defence co-operation: We don't want to talk about it
26 November 2020
The UK is wrong to reject an institutional foreign policy relationship with the EU, but the EU should improve its ineffective external security co-operation with third countries, including the UK.
President Biden: Don't expect miracles, Europe
13 November 2020
Transatlantic relations will improve under Biden, but Europe will not be his number one priority. Europeans must strengthen their capacity to protect their own interests.
Brexit and police and judicial co-operation: Too little, too late?
09 November 2020
The EU and the UK will find an agreement on extradition and Europol. But both parties are further apart on data protection than it may seem. Data transfers will be a problem in the future relationship.
Americans choose their president: Europe must live with the consequences
02 November 2020
The US election could spell the end of the transatlantic partnership or give it a new lease of life. But even if Biden prevails, Europeans should not use his victory as an excuse to hit the snooze button.
What would a Biden presidency mean for US-EU trade relations?
28 October 2020
Joe Biden in the White House would remove the threat of a US-EU trade war from the table, and open up new areas for co-operation.
The Commission's 'new migration pact': Handle with care
26 October 2020
The European Commission's new migration plans are more likely to succeed than previous attempts at reforming the system.
A tale of batteries, Brexit and EU strategic autonomy
23 October 2020
Recently leaked proposals suggest the EU wants to use the EU-UK trade deal to help on-shore an electric vehicle supply chain.
Brexit and COVID-19 are a toxic mix
15 October 2020
The second wave of COVID-19 is arriving just before the UK leaves the single market. The pandemic will make it harder for the economy to adjust to Brexit.
Bulletin issue 134 - October/November 2020
30 September 2020
- A trade deal would give the City of London breathing space, John Springford
- Will the coronavirus pandemic deliver a coup de grâce to Schengen?, Camino Mortera-Martinez
- Can the EU's Strategic Compass steer European defence?, Luigi Scazzieri
A terrible border is reborn? Ireland and a no-deal Brexit
25 September 2020
If the UK fails to reach a trade deal with the EU, and does not implement the special arrangements for Northern Ireland agreed in the Withdrawal Agreement, Ireland faces the prospect of a hard land border being reborn.
A Brexit deal may yet emerge from the current confusion
22 September 2020
Despite the brouhaha over the Internal Market Bill, both the British government and the EU still want to clinch a deal, and that remains a plausible outcome.
Europe, the US and China: A love-hate triangle?
21 September 2020
The EU risks being caught between an increasingly hostile US and China. It must manage relations with both in order to protect the rules-based global order.
Is development aid a victim of the EU budget deal?
15 September 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has hindered the Commission’s plans to reform its development policy. But though the EU will provide less external assistance than planned, its administration can be improved.
Five reasons why even a basic EU-UK trade deal is better than nothing
18 August 2020
A deal would avoid tariffs, unlock supplementary benefits, allow for EU and UK customs co-operation, ensure the Northern Ireland protocol is implemented sustainably
Lukashenka fights for survival
13 August 2020
There was never any doubt who would ‘win’ Belarus’s presidential election. But the country is undergoing profound changes – which pose dilemmas for both Russia and the EU.