Press
CER podcast: The Middle East peace process - state of play
06 July 2017
Sophia Besch talks to Luigi Scazzieri about the position of the Trump administration on the Middle East peace process, and about concrete policy recommendations for the EU.
Brexit briefing: The limits to constructive ambiguity
06 July 2017
Financial Times
Simon Tilford deputy director of the Centre for European Reform, says Labour’s current policy of constructive ambiguity on Brexit is not the win-win approach its advocates claim.
Tok FM: Rola instytucji europejskich w negocjacjach z Wielką Brytanią
06 July 2017
Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska talks to Tok FM about her lateste CER publication 'Brexit maze: The role of EU institutions in the negotiations'.
Britain's unhelpful obsession with the ECJ
05 July 2017
Financial Times
Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform has spelt out what Mrs May risks if she continues to make the ECJ an indelible red line. “She will severely limit the scope of the agreements that cover the future relationship. Thus, if the UK wants to stay in the single market for aviation, it will have to accept ECJ rulings, as do Norway and Iceland. The same dilemma applies to many other areas, like financial services, electricity, data flows and security co-operation.”
Brexit: British officials drop 'cake and eat it' approach to negotiations
03 July 2017
The Guardian
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, last week revealed the existence of an unpublished Treasury analysis showing that the costs of leaving without a customs union deal far outweigh any benefits from future overseas trade deals. “The coalition of forces pushing for a softer Brexit is considerable,” Grant said. “The Treasury, long an advocate of retaining close economic ties to the EU, is newly emboldened.”
Will hard Brexit be stopped? Anti-Brexit MPs 'fight tirelessly' for soft Brexit
02 July 2017
The Express
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform (CER), has argued that the hung parliament result boosts “the chances of a ‘softer’ Brexit”. Mr Grant said: “The election took away May’s majority, greatly weakening her, and the new Parliament seems unlikely to pass the legislation required for a hard Brexit.”
CER podcast: Security co-operation after Brexit
30 June 2017
Sophia Besch talks to Camino Mortera-Martinez about how to keep Britain plugged into Europol and European criminal databases.
After Grenfell tower fire, UK asks: Has deregulation gone too far?
28 June 2017
The New York Times
Simon Tilford, an economist and deputy director of the Centre for European Reform, said: “We’re seeing the biggest challenge to this 40-year drive to marginalize or discredit the state and its role in the economy and society. Grenfell Tower had such impact because it symbolizes for many in Britain the retreat of the state, visible in badly maintained social housing and the failure to build more social housing.”
The Cabinet starts to split
28 June 2017
Financial Times
As Charles Grant, director of the CER writes in a valuable new upsum of the UK negotiating position: “[Mr Hammond] has not yet risked war with the Eurosceptics by stating in public that linking to the Customs Union is a long-term option, but in private he is reported to be in favour.”
Lesley Riddoch on Brexit: Leaving EU is simpler than staying in
26 June 2017
The Scotsman
The EU has told Switzerland that it must rethink restrictions on migration or lose access to the single market. According to an influential 2016 report for the Centre for European Reform (CER): “The current Swiss model is broken and will never be accepted again by the EU.”
Sondaż: Bruksela oceniana surowo
25 June 2017
Rzeczpospolita
“Tym bardziej że dominująca rola Berlina raczej szybko nie zniknie. – Brexit spowodował, że Niemcy tracą partnera, który popierał liberalne reformy gospodarcze i dyscyplinę budżetową. Aby uniknąć wrażenia, że sama o wszystkim decyduje, Merkel będzie pokazywać, że współpracuje po partnersku z Macronem. Ale jeśli pozostanie u władzy, nie odejdzie od rygorystycznej polityki finansowej. Nie widzę wielu obszarów do realnego współdziałania z Francją – mówi „Rz" Sophia Besch z Centre for European Reform w Londynie.”
Euronews: Falling pound, border fears and a frightened workforce
23 June 2017
Charles Grant speaks to Sophie Claudet of Euronews on the new proposal allowing EU citizens that have been living in the UK for five years to stay (from 08.45).
Can Brexit be stopped? The answer is in our hands
23 June 2017
The Guardian
Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform imagines the reaction once, say, Airbus leaves the UK, along with various car companies. “If in that period, the macroeconomic truth dawns, that the trade lost is far greater than any trade gained by new agreements around the world, people might begin to think again.” Grant reckons the democratic catharsis of exit might be a necessary first step: “We have to get out before we can get closer.”
Brexit: Do we stand a chance?
22 June 2017
London Business School
“The EU is very self-confident now,” said Charles Grant, Director, Centre for European Reform. “The eurozone is growing fast, (Emmanuel) Macron is a powerful new figure who will revitalise the Franco-German relationship and (Donald) Trump and Brexit are creating solidarity amongst European governments. They (the EU) feel they’re not going to have to make any concessions at all. They laugh at the idea that anything could destabilise the eurozone.”
Macron og Merkel skaber gennembrud for fælles forsvar i EU – men uden Danmark
22 June 2017
Politiken
Eksperter i europæisk sikkerhedspolitik som Luigi Scazzieri fra Centre for European Reform (CER) i London er enige i, at beslutningen om permanent forstærket samarbejde er et gennembrud. »Det er klart et vigtigt skridt. Men det er svært at sige præcis, hvad det vil blive brugt til. Lige nu betragter jeg egentlig skabelsen af en forsvarsfond som den vigtigste beslutning«, siger han.
The EU should spell out options for Britain
20 June 2017
The Evening Standard
Writing for the Centre for European Reform, Simon Tilford suggested last week that once we have agreement on citizens’ rights and the £60 billion-plus exit fee, which presumably Boris Johnson will suggest should be paid with funds sucked out of the NHS, then the EU should spell out publicly for British consumption the remaining options to fuel an informed debate.
EU has negotiating team of all talents
19 June 2017
The Times
Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform, a British think tank, has stated that Brexit will not be a single event but a process. This process commenced with the triggering of Article 50, the formal notification to leave. Negotiations must be completed within two years from the date of commencement, unless a time extension is allowed.
Negotiations begin over British split from European Union
19 June 2017
The Washington Post
“They can be more relaxed about Britain crashing out without a deal that could destabilize the EU economy and destabilize the euro zone,” said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform.
The 10 Brexit compromises Theresa May won't talk about
19 June 2017
The Guardian
Neither Theresa May nor Jeremy Corbyn said much about the substance of the Brexit negotiations during the election campaign.
Macron wins majority in French parliament, pollsters project
18 June 2017
Bloomberg
“Though Emmanuel Macron and Tony Blair have much in common, Blair never sought to smash the UK’s party system, which EM has done in France,” Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, said in a Twitter posting, referring to the British prime minister who won three straight elections from 1997.