Research
Can Europe save Ukraine – and itself – from Putin and Trump?
11 September 2025
Trump is not on Ukraine’s side, or Europe’s, but he cannot deliver peace on Putin’s terms. Rather than taking their lead from Trump, European leaders should act urgently to stop Russia’s advances and guarantee Ukraine’s security.
Tough love: How the EU should tackle corruption and the rule of law in Ukraine
09 September 2025
War has not made Ukraine’s problems with corruption and the rule of law vanish.
Making the EU's digital regulatory reset count: Four recommendations
02 September 2025
The EU digital rulebook has grown rapidly in recent years, becoming cumbersome and sometimes hampering trade. The forthcoming digital regulatory package is an opportunity to simplify the rules.
In defence of a bad deal
07 August 2025
The EU-US deal will hurt their economies, raise tariffs and weaken the global legal order. But despite it all, the EU was right to accept.
The Helsinki Final Act at 50: Relevant, or a relic?
28 July 2025
The Helsinki Final Act played a key role in ending the Cold War, but the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), to which it gave birth, has progressively been sidelined in Europe’s security architecture.
The EU Emissions Trading System in a larger EU
24 July 2025
Integrating EU candidate countries into the EU ETS would incentivise them to decarbonise their emissions-intensive electricity mix and heavy industries. Gradual integration would soften the economic impact of a high carbon price.
In transatlantic trade talks, the EU must keep digital policy off the table
18 July 2025
The UK has shifted some of its digital policies to appease the US president. But Brussels should adjust its tech agenda to boost its own competitiveness – not to cave in to Donald Trump.
Towards a decarbonised energy system in a larger EU
16 July 2025
Enlarging the energy union to include EU candidate countries would benefit both current and future EU member-states. Expanding the EU energy market would support energy decarbonisation, security and affordability.
The next steps for the UK-EU reset
19 June 2025
The UK-EU summit last month was an important step towards closer co-operation and a strategic partnership. Both sides now need to turn that ambition into detailed sectoral negotiations with a clear timescale.
Reconciling UK migration policy with the energy transition
18 June 2025
Many foreign workers that are needed to deliver the British government's net zero mission will not meet its higher salary and skills thresholds for visas.
Articles
Der zweite China-Schock: Wogegen sich Deutschland und Europa wappnen müssen
24 July 2025
Die Politische Meinung
Die deutsche Industrie gerät unter Druck – nicht durch Innovationsrückstände, sondern durch eine strukturelle globale Verschiebung: China produziert am Bedarf vorbei, die USA schotten sich ab, und Deutschland verliert Teile seiner traditionellen Exportmärkte.
For European economic policy, the new world has yet to be born
23 July 2025
Intereconomics
As Europe revisits its economic strategy – spurred by calls to “make Europe competitive again” – it must move beyond stylised contrasts and ask what it takes to build and scale technological capacity today.
Trump grozi wysokimi cłami Unii Europejskiej. Ekspert: „Eskalacja będzie trudna do uniknięcia”
18 July 2025
„Najnowsza groźba Trumpa uczyniłaby eksport UE nieopłacalnym. W takim przypadku Unia nie ma wiele do stracenia, odpowiadając ostro” – mówi nam ekonomista Sander Tordoir
Taking the Pulse: Should the EU bite the 10 per cent tariff bullet with the United States?
10 July 2025
Carnegie Endowment
If the EU wanted a shot at pushing tariffs below 10 per cent, it would have had to retaliate forcefully alongside China after Liberation Day, on April 2, 2025. But a 10 per cent tariff is manageable for EU exports and was priced in by Wall Street.
"La Hongrie de Viktor Orban est devenue un régime hybride entre la démocratie et la dictature"
28 June 2025
Franceinfo
Selon le Parlement européen, la Hongrie ne peut plus être considérée comme une démocratie. Car depuis 2010, le Premier ministre Viktor Orban a "façonné les institutions démocratiques pour lui conférer un pouvoir quasi illimité", explique la chercheuse Zselyke Csaky à franceinfo.
How to survive a trade war: A case for EU burden-sharing
27 June 2025
The Parliament Magazine
President Donald Trump’s tariff pause is a chance for the EU to get its house in order and figure out a measured response to the US trade threats.
Press
Player or playground? Europe sidelined again as rivals US and China cut deals on its soil
16 September 2025
South China Morning Post
“It’s striking that Washington and Beijing are ironing out their trade disputes on European soil, while Europe itself is largely sidelined,” Sander Tordoir, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, said.“The two superpowers are playing on Europe’s pitch – but Europe isn’t even in the game in some ways.”
Europe's socialists to exclude Fico's Smer party in October
16 September 2025
EurActiv
“It’s unlikely to have any impact in Slovakia,” said Anton Spisak, from the Centre for European Reform think-tank, of the decision to expel the party from the group. “Fico has positioned himself as an opponent of the EU mainstream, and none of his voters will be bothered by this decision.”“If anything, this decision is long overdue”, said Spisak.
Why Trump's letter to NATO won't shift EU's course on Russia
15 September 2025
Deutsche Welle
Ian Bond, deputy director of the Centre for European Reform, sees a gap between Trump's rhetoric and his actions. "The EU has dramatically reduced its reliance on Russian oil and gas," he told DW.
Tror Putin bløffer: - Har begrenset seg
13 September 2025
Dagbladet
Vi pleier å gjøre Russland tre meter høyt, og alle andre én meter høye. Men Europa har mye større økonomi, industri og befolkning. Det vi trenger er vilje til å omsette dette til militærmakt nok til å avskrekke Russland, sier Ian Bond, visedirektør for den anerkjente tankesmia Centre for European Reform, og tidligere britisk ambassadør til Latvia, til Dagbladet.
Waarom de investering van ASML in AI-bedrijf Mistral 'knetterstrategisch' is
12 September 2025
Het Financieele Dagblad
En bovendien, ‘zonder risico’s kan Europa een soevereine techsector sowieso vergeten’, zegt Sander Tordoir, econoom van de denktank CER. ‘In dat licht is ASML’s stap ook een signaal aan andere Europese reuzen om in kleinere Europese bedrijven te durven investeren.’
Europe drags its heels on Draghi plan as global rivals surge
10 September 2025
Financial Times
For Sander Tordoir, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, simplification is a sideshow rather than the main medication. “You can have a bonfire of regulations and if you have none of the other policies Draghi recommended . . . nothing is going to happen.”
Warum die Union das Verbrenner-Aus kippen will
10 September 2025
Der Spiegel
Sander Tordoir, Chefökonom beim Thinktank Centre for European Reform, hält die Debatte über das Verbrennerverbot für irreführend und schlägt eine andere Maßnahme vor, um auf die strukturelle Krise der Industrie zu reagieren. »Deutschland, Europas am stärksten autozentrierte Wirtschaft, sollte seine Kaufprämien für E-Autos wieder einführen«, sagt Tordoir. Deren Abschaffung nennt er »Selbstgeißelung«.
Mistral emerges as last, best hope for European AI contender
09 September 2025
Bloomberg
Sander Tordoir, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, echoed this thought, describing the move as “a bet on the future of a sovereign tech ecosystem.”
How to modernise Europe’s power grids to deal with renewables and increased demand?
08 September 2025
The Economist Cafe Europa
How to modernise Europe’s power grids to deal with renewables and increased demand? The technical issues are shockingly complicated and the politics are polarised. This paper from John Springford, of the Centre for European Reform, explains that more European trade in electricity could amp up production and dial down prices. But trading electricity across borders encounters resistance from some national governments: while it lowers prices overall for Europeans, it may raise prices locally. Mr Springford calls for conducting the gains from trade back to consumers so they can see how they benefit.
Zorgen over staatsschulden leiden tot nerveuze week op financiële markten
04 September 2025
Die Volkskrant
Zo is daar de rol van de Nederlandse pensioenfondsen.‘Die zijn wereldwijd een zeer belangrijke koper van zulke langlopende obligaties’, zegt Sander Tordoir, hoofdeconoom van het Centre for European Reform in Berlijn. ‘Maar die hebben vanwege aankomende hervormingen van het Nederlandse pensioenstelsel besloten minder van zulke lange obligaties te kopen, dus lopen die rentes nu ook op.’
Podcasts
CER Podcast: Latest developments in Russia's war on Ukraine
27 August 2025
Ian Bond and Hanna Shelest discuss the latest developments in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Trump’s tariffs and digital policy
23 July 2025
Zselyke Csaky and Zach Meyers discuss digital policy as Trump's tariffs are back on the agenda.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Immigration reform in the UK
09 July 2025
John Springford and Madeleine Sumption discuss the British government's white paper on immigration.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The 2025 NATO summit
01 July 2025
Charles Grant and Luigi Scazzieri discuss the recent NATO summit of 25-26 June.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The geopolitics of the war in the Middle East
25 June 2025
Charles Grant and Gideon Rachman discuss the geopolitics of the war in the Middle East.
Events
CER/Kreab breakfast on 'The future of better regulation in Europe'
16 September 2025
Brussels
With Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity; Implementation and Simplification
Liberal Democrat party conference fringe event on ‘Building resilient and inclusive societies: security, growth and migration'
22 September 2025
Bournemouth
With Malik Azmani, Wendy Chamberlain, Richard Foord and Pedro Serrano. Further details here.
Labour party conference fringe event on ‘Facing global challenges and engaging with the rest of the world’
30 September 2025
Liverpool
With Douglas Alexander, Stella Creasy, Pedro Serrano and Emily Thornberry. Further details here.
Conservative party conference fringe event on ‘Rebuilding European security’
07 October 2025
Manchester
With Kitty Donaldson, George Freeman, Bernard Jenkin and Pedro Serrano. Further details here.
Hybrid launch of 'The Routledge Guide to the European Union (2nd edition)'
22 July 2025
Hybrid London/Zoom
With Ian Bond, Mark Leonard and Armida van Rij. Watch the video of the event here.