Research
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.
Elections in Poland and Romania: What do the results mean for Europe?
13 June 2025
Both elections tested democratic resilience and, while confirming the status quo on most EU policies, showed that anti-establishment sentiment is here to stay.
The case for using the Anti-Coercion Instrument against Russia
05 June 2025
The EU sanctions regime against Russia is threatened by a Hungarian veto. The Anti-Coercion Instrument would allow the EU to bypass Budapest.
NATO summit 2025: Time to build a proper European pillar?
02 June 2025
Neither an ‘EU-plus’ nor a ‘NATO-minus’ could fill all the gaps that would be left in European security if the US radically reduced its commitment to NATO.
A perfect storm: Britain's trade malaise, weak growth and a new geopolitical moment
21 May 2025
The UK is facing its most severe trade challenge in decades – and at the worst possible time.
On Europe, Labour should reconsider its 'red chains'
16 May 2025
Labour’s reset with the EU will fail to deliver a significant boost to economic growth. A fundamental refashioning of the EU-UK relationship would require Labour to think again about freedom of movement.
Not a summit of ambition
12 May 2025
The EU-UK summit should enable leaders to respond to the threatening global situation by putting past differences behind them. However, backward-looking dogma and unnecessary red lines may result in the summit under-achieving.
Does EU enlargement require voting reform?
09 May 2025
Moving away from unanimity is complex and faces much resistance. But it is a question that EU leaders will not be able to avoid in the long run.
Ditchley conference report: A European path to higher economic growth
07 May 2025
In November 2024, at its annual Ditchley economics conference, the CER gathered leading politicians, officials, academics, journalists and thinkers to discuss the causes of Europe’s slow economic growth and what the continent should do about them.
Articles
Lessons in power from the Brexit wars
21 June 2025
Encompass
Britain’s electricity industry is congratulating itself on the outcome of the UK-EU summit last month, with good reason.
Deutschland muss grünes Wachstum schaffen
10 June 2025
Die Zeit
Deutschland ist Europas stärkster Standort für grüne Technologien. Doch die schwarz-rote Regierung verspielt diese Chance mit falscher Deregulierung.
Political bans may be legal, but they are unlikely to save democracy
12 May 2025
Encompass
In recent months, several far-right politicians have been banned from political competition. The courts in Romania banned two extremist candidates from running in presidential elections.
The Iberian grid meltdown imperils electricity trade
03 May 2025
EurActiv
Linking up electricity grids exposes European countries to each other's energy policy decisions. But the meltdown of Spain and Portugal's grids on Tuesday, which spread to France, will lead to renewed scrutiny on interconnectors being a potential way for troubles in one country to spread to another.
Taking the Pulse: In light of Trump’s tariffs, should Europe get closer to China?
17 April 2025
Carnegie Europe
The EU and China are both trade-surplus blocs: They rely on external demand and need buyers, not sellers, as the United States reduces its demand.
Econoom Sander Tordoir over de Trump-tarieven: “Xi Jinping zal zich in de handen wrijven om dit geschenk”
04 April 2025
De Standaard
Na Vietnam en Mexico zijn de VS het grootste slachtoffer van de handelstarieven van Donald Trump, zegt econoom Sander Tordoir.
Press
Predictions of £40bn hit to public finances from Brexit ‘correct’
23 June 2025
The Times
On the ninth anniversary of the leave vote, the OBR’s estimate of a 4 per cent loss in the UK’s long-run productivity has been borne out by declining investment and trade volumes, according to John Springford, an associate fellow at the Centre for European Reform.
PM’s Trump realpolitik looks like appeasement
21 June 2025
The Observer
A study by John Springford, associate fellow of the Centre for European Reform, finds that the annual loss of 4% of gross domestic product from Brexit – as estimated by the Office for Budgetary Responsibility – implies a loss of £40bn a year in tax revenue. He points out that this would have offset “a sizeable chunk” of the £100bn of taxes raised by the 2019-24 Conservative government.
UK's tougher immigration stance may undermine efforts to meet net zero by 2050
18 June 2025
The Economic Times
Stricter immigration rules introduced by the UK government could hinder the country’s net zero and housing goals, according to a new report from the Centre for European Reform (CER). The report found that more than half of the foreign-born workers in green jobs would not meet the new visa requirements, raising concerns about future labour shortages in critical sectors such as construction and clean energy.
Tighter immigration rules could hit UK net zero mission, report warns
17 June 2025
The Guardian
A report by the Centre for European Reform (CER), calculates that more than half of the foreign-born workers doing “green jobs” in the UK – 260,000 out of 465,000 – would not have been allowed in under the new rules.Ministers are relying on employers to raise wages and provide more training in order to attract domestic workers into these roles, but John Springford, an associate fellow at the CER, said that could push up the costs to consumers of going green.
The EU needs to punch its weight on sanctions
15 June 2025
Financial Times
As the Centre for European Reform’s Aslak Berg argues in a new briefing, the ACI gives the commission strong powers that it should use against Russia. Export controls on sensitive technology, too, are best decided at pan-EU level. Above all, these powers need to be deployed in the round in one coherent strategy.
Tariffs could be the spur Europe's single market needs
11 June 2025
Reuters
Aslak Berg, research fellow at the Centre for European Reform think tank, said the Commission seemed to be serious about reforms that made a difference, but needed to get EU members on board.
Handelsumlenkung: Erste Zahlen zeigen gestiegene Importe von Industrierobotern
09 June 2025
Table Media
„Das ist eine sehr schnelle Explosion von chinesischen Roboterexporten“, erklärt Sander Tordoir, Chefökonom des Centre for European Reform.
Can the EU lower the price cap on Russian oil without US support? It's complicated
07 June 2025
Euronews
"If the EU alone decides to tighten the screws on the cap, it's an additional constraint on Russia's oil exports but not as tight as with a whole of G7 approach," said Elisabetta Cornago, a senior researcher at the Centre for European Reform (CER).
Guerre en Europe : pourquoi la Lituanie risque-t-elle d'être la prochaine cible de Vladimir Poutine ?
05 June 2025
La Depeche
Ian Bond, directeur adjoint du Centre for European Reform, partage ce constat. Selon lui, même si un cessez-le-feu durable est trouvé en Ukraine, rien ne garantit que la Russie en restera là. La stratégie militaire de la Russie ne se limite pas aux paroles. Sur le terrain, son économie est déjà mobilisée.
EU officially retires its ‘no cherry-picking’ Brexit line
29 May 2025
Politico
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, said the cherry-picking line had been “a product of the strained relationship that followed the referendum, and the EU’s concern that other countries should not follow the UK’s example.”“The truth is that where there is mutual interest in the two sides moving closer — as there is on [sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agri-food rules] and energy trading — the EU is happy for the British to pick a cherry.
Podcasts
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Britain's trade stagnation
04 June 2025
Elisabetta Cornago and Anton Spisak discuss what has contributed to the stagnation of Britain’s trade since 2020.
CER podcast: Unpacking Europe: Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine
22 May 2025
Ian Bond, Mykola Bielieskov and Olesya Khromeychuk discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Will the UK-EU summit reset relations?
08 May 2025
Charles Grant and Sophia Gaston discuss the UK-EU summit.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The implications of Trump's tariffs
16 April 2025
Aslak Berg and Meredith Crowley discuss President Trump's tariffs.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The future of EU-India relations
02 April 2025
Anunita Chandrasekar, Tara Varma and Amaia Sánchez-Cacicedo consider the trajectory of EU-India relations.
Events
CER/KAS hybrid discussion on 'How will EU enlargement shape the EU-UK relationship?' with Amelia Hadfield and Luigi Scazzieri
08 July 2025
Hybrid London/Zoom
Please email [email protected] for further information, including how to register.
Hybrid discussion on 'The Liberal Democrat approach to the UK-EU reset' with Daisy Cooper, Deputy Leader, Liberal Democrats & Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Treasury
14 July 2025
Hybrid London/Zoom
Please email [email protected] for further information, including how to register.
Dinner on 'The future of British trade policy'
10 June 2025
London
With Douglas Alexander, Minister of State (Minister for Trade Policy & Economic Security), Department for Business & Trade & Minister of State, Cabinet Office, UK
Dinner on 'The importance of international law'
05 June 2025
London
With Lord Hermer KC, UK Attorney General
CER/Kreab breakfast on 'How to curb energy prices in the EU'
27 May 2025
Brussels
With Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, European Commission