Press
UK-Australia trade deal could complicate post-Brexit solution in Northern Ireland, officials fear
15 June 2021
Politico
“While it was totally possible for the U.K. to do a deal with Australia and not jeopardize its ability to enter into a deep veterinary agreement with the EU, it will be interesting to see whether the U.K. chooses to diverge from EU approaches anyway so as to make it more difficult for this or a future government to reintegrate with the EU. A ratchet, of sorts,” said Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform.
The UK-Australia trade deal has been painted as both a travesty and a triumph for Britain – it’s neither
15 June 2021
iNews
This deal does not give us any insight into whether the UK will be able to conclude tougher negotiations with the US, India and South American countries.
Sky News: Why the Australia trade deal matters
15 June 2021
Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the CER spoke to Sam Coates about why the Australia trade deal matters (from 2mins 20).
Relations with Russia at ‘lowest point’ in many years, says NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg
14 June 2021
The Parliament Magazine
Ian Bond, Centre for European Reform director of foreign policy, gave his assessment of the summit, saying, “Biden is America’s most Atlanticist president since Bill Clinton. Europe and the US will not see eye-to-eye on everything, but they should not waste this chance to strengthen their partnership.”
NATO statement on China goes 'much further' than prior language, expert says
14 June 2021
Euronews
"The language on China certainly goes much further than anything NATO has said before,” Ian Bond, Director of Foreign Policy at the think tank the Centre for European Reform, told Euronews. “I think this does reflect an increasing realisation that China is developing in ways that we hadn’t hoped for and perhaps we didn’t expect a few years ago when the talk was of China becoming a responsible stakeholder in the international system.”
Is Europe’s latest payments project doomed to fail?
14 June 2021
Financial Times
“Once participating banks start to go into the nitty-gritty of designing the EPI, the interests of those banks will start to diverge,” warned Zach Meyers at the Centre for European Reform think-tank.
Deutsche Welle: NATO summit
14 June 2021
Sophia Besch, senior research fellow a the CER spoke to Deutsche Welle about the NATO summit.
Euronews: NATO statement on China goes 'much further' than prior language, expert says
14 June 2021
"The language on China certainly goes much further than anything NATO has said before,” Ian Bond, director of foreign policy at the think-tank the Centre for European Reform, told Euronews.
CER podcast: Joe Biden's bridge-building European tour
11 June 2021
Ian Bond speaks to Rosa Balfour and Andrea Kendall-Taylor about the prospects for the transatlantic relationship under the Biden administration.
Import of hormone-treated beef 'not happening' says Trade Minister, Liz Truss
11 June 2021
ITV News
"If the UK government is making hormone-treated beef a red line in negotiations with Australia, the US and other trade partners, this will provide some protection for British cattle farmers, who are not allowed to give their own animals hormones," said John Springford, from the Centre for European Reform.
What’s happening on tax at the G7 leaders’ summit?
11 June 2021
Independent (Ireland)
Zach Meyers, a research fellow with the Centre for European Reform think-tank, said the EU’s moves “are unlikely to work and could even dissuade countries from agreeing to the OECD package”.
EU tries to loosen Brexit deadlock with colour-coded plan for Swiss-style deal
10 June 2021
The Guardian
Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, said the obvious solution was a Swiss-style deal for Northern Ireland “even on a temporary basis” to allow the UK government to diverge in the future for the sake of a trade deal with another country, such as the US.
BBC Newsnight: Biden's G7 visit
09 June 2021
Sam Lowe spoke to Ben Chu about Biden's G7 visit and what he is likely to say about the UK-EU impasse over Northern Ireland.
'Up your game!' EU crumbling as majority of Europeans no longer trust bloc – new poll
09 June 2021
The Express
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, said France will use its EU presidency in the first half of next year ahead of the French presidential elections to "promote its ideas of Europe".
BBC Radio 4 - PM: Irish Sea border goods checks
08 June 2021
Sam Lowe spoke to Evan Davis about the EU and UK queston of Irish Sea border goods checks, "the British proposal wouldn't remove the issue, it would just reduce it. Whereas the EU's would remove the issue, but at the expense of regulatory flexibility for Great Britain." (From 26mins)
BBC Radio Three Counties: Global tax reform
04 June 2021
As well as a global minimum corporate tax, the G7 is also set to agree a reallocation of the right to tax. Countries like the UK, France and Germany, that have large consumer bases using big tech companies like Amazon, will be able to levy taxes. Zach Meyers spoke to Roberto...
Tariffs cut on cheese, pork and poultry in UK-Norway trade deal
04 June 2021
Financial Times
Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform think-tank, described the UK-EEA deal as “necessary” and a “good thing” but said its success depended on the baseline of measurement. “If you are comparing it to normal free trade agreements, then it is certainly true that the deal has raised the bar in some areas, for example mutual recognition of professional qualifications,” he said.
The Red Box Politics Podcast: Tricks of the trade
01 June 2021
Luke Jones is talking trade with expert Sam Lowe, Centre for European Reform as well as Angus MacNeil MP, Chair of the International Trade Committee and Alexander Downer, Former Australian foreign minister and High Commissioner to the UK.
The EU needs better anti-corruption plans to defend the rule of law in Europe
01 June 2021
Encompass
If all goes according to plan, the EU should start disbursing money from its post-pandemic recovery fund next month.
Typical! French officials to use EU presidency to 'help Macron get re-elected'
01 June 2021
The Daily Express
French officials are set to use their EU presidency to help Emmanuel Macron get re-elected as the President of France, according to the director of the Centre for European Reform. Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, said France will use its EU presidency in the first half of next year ahead of the French presidential elections to "promote its ideas of Europe".