Press
A trade deal with Australia will have little impact, but it raises big questions about the UK's trade policy
24 May 2021
The House
The British government is going to need to work harder if it is to keep enough people onboard with its trade agenda.
Euronews: UK government 'divided' over possible trade deal with Australia
24 May 2021
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, an independent think-tank, told Euronews that the debate at the heart of the UK government is about how much access Australia should be offered.
UK farmers launch blistering attack on government over Australian trade deal as Johnson insists it's not a threat
22 May 2021
Politics Home
Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform, said the impact of the proposed trade deal on the British market would be minimal as it was unlikely to lead to a huge increase in meat imports from Australia.
The “bigger question,” he said, was whether it was a sign of how the government would approach trade negotiations with bigger economies like the US and Brazil, which will also want greater access to the UK’s agricultural markets.
The “bigger question,” he said, was whether it was a sign of how the government would approach trade negotiations with bigger economies like the US and Brazil, which will also want greater access to the UK’s agricultural markets.
Australia trade deal: Edwin Poots 'strongly opposes' zero tariff deal
22 May 2021
BBC News
Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform, said this is because of the protocol's rules on tariffs.
"Imports into Northern Ireland can only make use of the UK's trade deals if the difference between the applied UK tariff and the applied EU tariff is less than 3% of the value of the good.
"Imports into Northern Ireland can only make use of the UK's trade deals if the difference between the applied UK tariff and the applied EU tariff is less than 3% of the value of the good.
Die neue Lust am Schuldenmachen – nur, wofür?
22 May 2021
Der Spiegel
Jetzt sind die Briten raus – und nach Schätzungen des Center for European Reform (CER) hat das allein in den ersten drei Jahren nach dem Votum zu rund drei Prozent Verlust an Wirtschaftsleistung geführt. Da wären weniger Austerität und mehr Schulden am Anfang womöglich billiger gekommen.
CER podcast: How can Europe decarbonise road transport without sparking backlash?
21 May 2021
Sam Lowe discusses Europe's attempts to decarbonise road transport with Elisbetta Cornago.
European Commission proposes ‘optimistic’ corporation tax reforms
20 May 2021
Public Finance Focus
The commission said the ongoing negotiations led by the OECD, with consensus on a new international tax system expected in the coming months, should give its plans momentum. But this is “too optimistic”, according to Zach Meyers, research fellow at the Centre for European Reform think-tank.
Trade experts play down Australia trade deal concerns
20 May 2021
The Grocer
Sam Lowe, a trade specialist at the Centre for European Reform think tank, similarly questioned the premise that dropping tariffs on Australian food would lead to floods of cheap meat on UK shelves.
“What if Australian exporters are happy selling all over Asia?” he said in a trade newsletter this week. “And what if Australian exporters want to sell their higher-end food products to the UK, not the cheap stuff? And what if Australian imports are just as likely to displace EU food imports?”
“What if Australian exporters are happy selling all over Asia?” he said in a trade newsletter this week. “And what if Australian exporters want to sell their higher-end food products to the UK, not the cheap stuff? And what if Australian imports are just as likely to displace EU food imports?”
Rociito y el Estado de derecho
17 May 2021
El Periodico
España tendrá unas cuantas cosas que explicar cuando la UE ponga en marcha su mecanismo de supervisión del Estado de derecho.
UK government split over Australia trade deal
17 May 2021
Financial Times
Sam Lowe, the trade specialist at the Centre for European Reform think-tank, said NFU fears about the effects of an Australian deal were overstated, given that exports volumes were currently quite small. But the deal would set important precedents for future negotiations with the USA and the Mercosur block in Latin American countries, which includes Brazil, a big beef producer.
Brexit has cost Britain nearly £16 billion since 2016, experts estimate
13 May 2021
The London Economic
The Centre for European Reform estimates that quitting the single market and customs union at the end of December 2020 reduced UK trade by £7.7 billion – roughly 11 per cent – in March. This came on top of a further £8 billion hit to trade between the referendum, in June 2016, and quitting the single market – a period which saw a significant fall in the value of Sterling.
Brexit has cost UK economy almost £16bn in trade since 2016, report finds
13 May 2021
The New European
The Centre for European Reform (CER) estimates that leaving the single market and customs union at the end of 2020 has reduced UK trade by £7.7billion, or 11%, since March.
Turkey-style deal for Libya to stop migration to Europe 'not feasible'
13 May 2021
The National
Luigi Scazzieri, an expert on EU foreign policy at the Centre for European Reform, told The National a Turkey-style deal was out of the question because it would involve housing migrants in Libya. “The way the deal with Turkey works is that migrants and refugees who arrive in Greece and did not qualify for asylum were returned to Turkey,” he said.
Die Briten staunen über Michel Barnier
13 May 2021
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
“ In den Jahren der Austrittsverhandlungen hatten die Brexiteers Barnier als unbeugsamen Kritiker eines neuen britischen Nationalismus wahrgenommen. Für die meisten Remainer war Barnier dagegen die Stimme der Vernunft. Jetzt nennt John Springford vom EU-freundlichen „Centre for European Reform“ Barniers Vorstoß „absurd und unglaublich schädlich“.
Brexit has cost UK nearly £16 billion in trade of goods since the 2016 referendum, The Centre for European Reform estimates
12 May 2021
The Evening Standard
Brexit has delivered a blow of nearly £16 billion to the UK’s trade in goods since the 2016 referendum, leading experts said today.The Centre for European Reform estimates that leaving the single market and customs union at the end of December 2020 had reduced UK trade by £7.7 billion, or 11 per cent, in March.
France should ban non-EU immigration for up to FIVE YEARS, says ex Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier
11 May 2021
The Sun
John Springford, from the London-based think tank the Centre for European Reform, said it was "absurd and would be incredibly damaging".
Euranet: The next battle for rule of law in the EU will be fought in court
11 May 2021
Camino Mortera, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, believes that Hungary and Poland may have a case to answer. “This case that has been brought to the European Court of Justice by Poland and Hungary is not – and I know this may sound provocative – the...
CER podcast: The EU's plans for Big Tech
10 May 2021
Camino Mortera-Martínez discusses what to do about Big Tech with Zach Meyers.
UK’s services sector starts to count the real cost of Brexit
10 May 2021
Financial Times
In non-regulated services businesses, Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank, says, “The difficulties are more indirect: if [a UK advertising agency] wants to be serving clients in Italy from London, you want to have Italians on staff. The new [UK] immigration system makes it more difficult to hire [EU nationals].”
Madrid success raises hopes of Europe’s struggling centre-right
09 May 2021
Financial Times
“This was an election fought in bars,” said Camino Mortera-Martinez, of the Centre for European Reform, who thinks it would be hard to replicate elsewhere in Spain, let alone in Europe. “The stance Díaz Ayuso took completely destroyed party lines. It was borderline populist if not populist altogether.”