Camino Mortera-Martinez
Camino Mortera-Martinez
Head of the Brussels office
Areas of expertise
EU law, EU politics and institutions and EU justice and home affairs.
Twitter
To be influential in the EU, Spain must rebuild its political centre
31 July 2023
Spain’s inconclusive electoral results will diminish Madrid’s influence in Europe. As holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, Spain will be diligent but distracted.
The Commission: More power demands more accountability
30 May 2023
As the European Commission becomes more political, it will need to embrace both the Spitzenkandidaten process and reform.
A year of war in Europe: The balance sheet
22 February 2023
Since Russia attacked Ukraine, the CER has tracked the war’s effect on the protagonists, the EU, NATO and other powers. What conclusions can be drawn from the past year?
Hungary, Poland and the EU: It's the money, stupid?
08 February 2023
After years playing by the legal book, the EU is now using its purse strings to curb democratic backsliding in Poland and Hungary. This is a good tactic, but not a sustainable strategy in the long-term.
State of the Union: Seven months into Putin's war
28 September 2022
Ursula von der Leyen has managed to keep the EU together so far. The coming months will test this unity.
Using sanctioned Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine will not be easy
03 August 2022
Funding Ukraine’s reconstruction with confiscated assets from Russian elites will be legally complex. Seizing Russia’s frozen foreign reserves may prove easier.
State of the Union: The EU, three months into Putin's war
24 May 2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shifted priorities and frayed alliances in the EU. It has also created winners and losers in Brussels.
Russia's war on Ukraine: There is worse to come (for the West as well)
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.
Is there a future for the EU's area of freedom, security and justice? A plan to build back trust
26 January 2022
The EU needs a new plan to deal with its migration, security and rule of law problems all at once.
The three deaths of EU-UK data adequacy
15 November 2021
European and British businesses can still freely transfer personal data between the EU and UK. This situation has spared both sides disruption – but is unlikely to last.
Lukashenka is the problem, not the migrants
12 November 2021
The crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border is artificially manufactured. Europe needs to focus on the cause of the problem – Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s desire to strike back at the EU.
How to solve a problem like Poland
03 November 2021
The Polish government’s defiance over the rule of law puts the EU in a bind. To protect the Union’s integrity without alienating Polish citizens, the EU needs a mix of political pressure, legal action and better communication.
The EU's future or everything von der Leyen did not say
24 September 2021
To gauge what the EU's next big political fights will be, look at what Ursula Von der Leyen did not say in her annual speech to the European Parliament.
A new migration crisis may be brewing
27 July 2021
Member-states have made some progress towards a common asylum system. But large divisions endure and the EU's efforts to increase co-operation with third countries will continue to face difficulties.
Objection! Why the EU opposes the UK's plans for cross-Channel litigation
18 June 2021
Brexit has made cross-border litigation harder. While bigger companies will cope, EU and UK citizens and small businesses will suffer.
How to fight corruption and uphold the rule of law
27 April 2021
Corruption is a problem for the European Union and endangers the rule of law. To protect EU money and stop democratic backsliding, the EU needs better anti-graft plans.
Post-Brexit data transfers are not a done deal
29 March 2021
Data transfers are essential for both trade and security co-operation. The EU and the UK should not let minor differences obscure the fact that they have more in common than divides them.
The EU's troubled leadership: You get what you pay for
25 February 2021
Recent gaffes by Ursula von der Leyen and Josep Borrell, over COVID-19 vaccination roll-out and Russia policy respectively, have irritated member-states.
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.
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.
Will the coronavirus pandemic deliver a coup de grâce to Schengen?
30 September 2020
The EU’s Schengen area will survive the pandemic. But member-states need to co-ordinate border closures and set clear criteria for imposing quarantines, or they will imperil the single market.
CER/OSEPI podcast: The new migration pact: A "fresh start" or more of the same?
28 September 2020
The European Commission has unveiled its much-awaited ‘new migration pact’. But just how much of it is new? Will the EU finally agree on a common migration policy?
The EU's Security Union: A bill of health
21 June 2019
The Security Union has a mixed record. The next EU leaders should learn from its successes and failures to deal with fresh security questions like migration, China and disruptive technologies.
Catch me if you can: The European Arrest Warrant and the end of mutual trust
01 April 2019
EU countries trust each other less than they used to, making them less willing to co-operate.
Europe without the UK: Liberated or diminished?
13 March 2019
In 2016 the CER made ten predictions about the effect of Brexit on future EU policy. How do they stand up now, on the eve of the UK’s departure?
Is Spain simply late to Europe's populist party?
25 January 2019
Few expected Spain to join Europe’s least exclusive party, the one bringing together illiberal forces. But Vox’s rise begs the question: is Spain simply late to the populist bash?
Why Europe needs legal migration and how to sell it
20 December 2018
Europe needs migrants, and migration is inevitable. Now, European leaders must articulate a powerful case for opening legal migration channels, rather than defaulting to vote-winning policies of containment and control.
What is Europe doing to fight disinformation?
29 November 2018
Focusing on the most blatant disinformation and helping target audiences understand the difference between real and fake news is the best way to fight disinformation.
The accidental prime minister: What Spain's new government means for the EU
26 July 2018
Spain’s new government might not last long. But it could act as a catalyst for progress on the thorny issues of migration, eurozone reform and Catalonia.
Merkel's migration deal: Less than the sum of its parts
09 July 2018
The June European Council has not solved the EU’s migration problems.
Game over? Europe's cyber problem
09 July 2018
The EU knows that a cyber war is happening, but not how to fight it. To be up to speed, the bloc needs to update its cyber security plan
Plugging in the British: Completing the circuit
22 June 2018
Post-Brexit internal and external security co-operation arrangements seem as hard for the EU and UK to agree on as trade. Other third countries’ relationships with the EU provide models.
Plugging in the British: EU justice and home affairs
25 May 2018
Police and judicial co-operation will not be easier to negotiate than trade. To get a good deal, the UK and the EU need to move beyond their hard-line opening positions.
Europe's cyber problem
22 March 2018
Europe has been good at dealing with cyber crime. But it struggles to prevent and respond to state-sponsored cyber attacks.
Relaunching the EU
07 November 2017
The EU is ripe for fundamental reform. New policies are needed for migration and the euro. The EU also needs more flexible structures so that countries can opt in and out of key policies.
Crunch time in Catalonia: Why Spain needs a constitutional overhaul
04 October 2017
Catalonia's illegal referendum has resulted in a constitutional crisis in Spain. Madrid needs to urgently revise the country's model of regional government.
Arrested development: Why Brexit Britain cannot keep the European Arrest Warrant
10 July 2017
The European Arrest Warrant (EAW) has made it easier for the UK to extradite criminals. But once it leaves the EU, Britain will find it almost impossible to negotiate as good an arrangement as the EAW.
Hard Brexit, soft data: How to keep Britain plugged into EU databases
23 June 2017
Retaining full access to EU databases fighting crime and terrorism will not be easy for Britain. Any deal will require a role for the European Court of Justice and keeping EU privacy laws.
Europe's forgotten refugee crisis
24 May 2017
The EU is far from having solved the problems that led to the refugee crisis. It needs to make its asylum system work and do more to send irregular migrants back.
Good cop, bad cop: How to keep Britain inside Europol
16 May 2017
A post-Brexit deal on Europol should be relatively easy to negotiate. The UK could retain a special status, but the British government will need to make some concessions.
Camino Mortera-Martinez — Wonk of the Week
Politico
20 April 2017
In this new Playbook feature we'll shine a spotlight each Thursday on an author posting interesting content on thewonk.eu. Based in Brussels, Camino Mortera-Martinez works for the Centre for European Reform.
No entry: What Trump’s migration policies mean for the EU
10 April 2017
Trump's 'Muslim ban' does not apply to EU citizens. But his migration and security policies may have unexpected effects in Europe.
What free movement means to Europe and why it matters to Britain
19 January 2017
Britain and the EU-27 view migration very differently. That could complicate the Brexit and free trade negotiations.
Plugging Britain into EU security is not that simple
22 November 2016
Plugging the British into EU police and judicial co-operation will not be easy. And the UK will probably end up with less generous deals than the ones it has now.
Spain's groundhog day: Why Madrid needs a government
12 September 2016
Whether or not there is a third election, Spain needs a government. Madrid must be a credible partner as the EU confronts multiple crises, from migration to Brexit.
El terrorismo pone en jaque la estrategia europea de seguridad
El Pais
15 August 2016
"Ni la propuesta francoalemana ni las medidas que salen de Bruselas ni las respuestas puramente nacionales van impedir que el nuevo terrorismo siga golpeando: que un lobo solitario estampe un camión sobre la multitud, o un excombatiente entre en una iglesia y acuchille a un párroco”, reflexiona Camino Mortera, del CER.
Britain will struggle to make EU migrants ‘go home’
05 August 2016
The British government is likely to let all EU migrants who arrive before the date of Brexit stay in the country. Other options may be politically attractive, but are impractical, of dubious legality, or against British interests.
How Brexit burst the Brussels bubble
Prospect
28 June 2016
The EU needs to start listening to its citizens, eurosceptic though they may be, if it wants to save what is left of the European project.
Europe after Bremain: A strong team?
10 June 2016
If Britain votes to Remain, it should not revert to old habits of obstruction. In almost every field, it can serve its own interests best by making a positive contribution.
CER podcast: Five questions on the implications of a Brexit for EU Justice and Home Affairs policies
18 May 2016
In the third episode of a series of podcasts on the implications of a Brexit for the EU, Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) research fellow Camino Mortera-Martinez explains the consequences of a Brexit for EU JHA policies.
Why Schengen matters and how to keep it: A five point plan
13 May 2016
Schengen, the agreement that abolished border controls in parts of the EU, may unravel. To keep Schengen, Europe must manage asylum seekers in an orderly way and keep European citizens safe.
Europe after Brexit: Unleashed or undone?
15 April 2016
If Britain left the EU, the character of the Union would change. The UK has driven economic liberalisation and foreign policy co-operation, and has made the EU's machinery more efficient.
Doomed: Five reasons why the EU-Turkish refugee deal will not work
24 March 2016
The EU-Turkish refugee deal is unlikely to work, because of legal and practical reasons. The EU will need to go back to its initial strategy.
CER podcast: Emergency EU Turkey summit
09 March 2016
Sophia Besch talks to the CER's JHA expert Camino Mortera-Martinez about the details of this week's migration summit deal and broader implications for the sustainability of Schengen.
The refugee crisis: Fixing Schengen is not enough
17 February 2016
Europe's refugee crisis is a foreign policy crisis with domestic spill-over; it has to be solved abroad as well as at home.
No, Spain is not 'different': It too needs a grand coalition
15 January 2016
After last month’s elections, where no party obtained an outright majority, Spain needs a grand coalition to secure constitutional reform and face the Catalan problem.
Big data, Big Brother? How to secure Europeans' safety and privacy
04 December 2015
To keep Europeans safe and respect their privacy, the EU needs to improve its relationship with America and the functioning of the European Parliament.
Adrift: The impact of the ECJ's Safe Harbour ruling
30 November 2015
The Court's decision to invalidate a transatlantic agreement on data flows could fragment the internet, harm Europe's digital single market and threaten the EU's geopolitical interests.
Terrorism in Paris: Aux armes, citoyens?
17 November 2015
The West should draw the right lessons from the Paris attacks. A military response to Daesh in Syria must be combined with better European intelligence co-operation.
Ni efecto llamada ni política común
El Pais
20 April 2015
El rifirrafe entre los países del norte y sur de Europa ha llevado a un operativo en alta mar restringido que explica el aumento de muertes.
Dead in the water: Fixing the EU’s failed approach to Mediterranean migrants
23 April 2015
The humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean forces the EU to act. It should reform its asylum policy and take action in Libya, not resort to half measures.
Know your enemy: How to break the EU’s gridlock on security measures
03 June 2015
If the EU wants to tackle the threat of terrorism effectively, MEPs should be given adequate access to confidential information.
After Paris: What’s next for the EU’s counter-terrorism policy?
27 January 2015
After the Paris shootings, the EU should focus on advancing its already-agreed counter-terrorism agenda, while ensuring a fair balance between privacy and security.
Cameron's migration speech and EU law: Can he change the status quo?
04 December 2014
The reforms to the benefits system proposed by Cameron will be difficult to negotiate and may require treaty change. Reforms should not lead to a Brexit.
No, we can't: Why Podemos is not Syriza
20 February 2015
It is unlikely that Podemos will win Spain’s general elections. Podemos advocates for a reformed EU but will not be confrontational with the European institutions.
With or without you: Will Catalonia be Europe's next crisis?
30 September 2015
Catalonia’s elections caused more problems than they solved. Spain and Catalonia need to start a dialogue to reform Spain’s model of regional government. Otherwise, Catalonia will become Europe’s next crisis.
The Calais crisis: Discussion with Mark Reckless and Emily Maitlis
05 August 2015
Camino Mortera-Martinez discusses the Calais crisis with Mark Reckless and Emily Maitlis.
Watch the debate here (17:40).
Watch the debate here (17:40).
France Culture: Bruxelles, et après ?
14 June 2015
Interview de Camino Mortera-Martinez, chercheuse au Centre for European Reform, un think tank londonien.
Le 14 juin 1985, les accords de Schengen étaient signés par les cinq Etat membres de la Communauté économique européenne d'alors. Ils sont entrés en vigueur en 1995 et 26 Etats dont 22 membres de l'Union européenne...
Le 14 juin 1985, les accords de Schengen étaient signés par les cinq Etat membres de la Communauté économique européenne d'alors. Ils sont entrés en vigueur en 1995 et 26 Etats dont 22 membres de l'Union européenne...