Press
Bloomberg - European Close: Brexit and the recovery fund
11 December 2020
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform spoke to Bloomberg about the recovery fund resolution and his fears that Europe will struggle to fill Angela Merkel's role as mediator when she stands down next year.
Politico Playbook interview: Sam Lowe
11 December 2020
Politico London Playbook
The Centre for European Reform’s senior research fellow Sam Lowe made the (relative) case for optimism about the UK and EU’s ability to reach a deal all the way back in March.
Brexit and trade: Implications for Wales
11 December 2020
House of Commons
In his evidence to our inquiry, Sam Lowe, Centre for European Reform, also emphasised the importance of a trade agreement with the EU, in particular for agriculture, as high tariffs would apply to beef, lamb and other areas if trading with the EU on WTO terms: We just have to be blunt about it.
Boris Johnson once mocked the eurocrats of Brussels. They haven’t forgotten
10 December 2020
The New York Times
“He left [Brussels] in 1994 and he’s not been back very much since,” said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, a research institute, who, as a correspondent for The Economist, competed against Mr Johnson.“He’s anathema to most EU politicians, who see him as personally to blame for Brexit, so he doesn’t have much of a network there,” Mr Grant added.
Impasse in Brexit trade deal talks is fixable, say experts
10 December 2020
Financial Times
Sam Lowe of the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank, said a possible solution would be an agreement where UK regulations would only have to be “equivalent”, or equal in effect to those in the EU, rather than having precisely the same text. “Focusing on the actual competitive advantage to businesses rather than the formal regulations would allow Britain to claim victory in the negotiations while also reassuring the EU about its core concern,” he added.
CER podcast: Can the EU bring its neighbouring countries further into its orbit?
10 December 2020
Katherine Pye spoke to Katarína Mathernová about the EU's relations with Eastern Partnership countries.
US trade deal: Charm offensive to win over Joe Biden begins as UK suspends tariffs
09 December 2020
Express
Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform, described the UK's decision as "broadly sensible". He said: "If it helps lead to a negotiated settlement that’s great; if not can always re-impose the tariffs in future."
Channel 4 News: Boris Johnson in direct talks with EU as deadline looms
08 December 2020
"The British still seem to think that if only they can talk to Merkel or Macron the governments can lean on that silly Mr Barnier to be more flexible, when in fact it's the governments that are pushing Mr Barnier to be less flexible in many ways,
Times Radio: Irish border
08 December 2020
Sam Lowe spoke to Jon Pienaar about why he's hopeful the tone of UK-EU talks will change now the Irish border management question seems to be settling down.
Sky News: Brexit talks - EU sources say UK and EU have made "significant progress"
07 December 2020
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform spoke to Sky News about the ongoing Brexit talks (from 06.32am).
BBC Radio 4 - Today Programme: Brexit talks
07 December 2020
Sam Lowe a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform spoke to Nick Robinson about the UK's choices: either accept tariffs on day one, when there isn't a deal, or risk them being imposed in future if it breaches commitments.
BBC News: Brexit: PM talks with EU chief
07 December 2020
Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at ther CER spoke to BBC News about why the UK's provisional willingness to remove some Internal Market Bill clauses could spell good news for a UK-EU trade deal.
BBC Radio Scotland: Brexit talks - trade deal?
07 December 2020
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the CER, spoke to BBC Radio Scotland this lunchtime about why we should be realistic about what a UK-EU trade deal can achieve, but the importance of one nonetheless.
Fears that UK will not cope with Brexit and Covid vaccine rollout
06 December 2020
The Observer
As Sam Lowe, a former member of the Department for International Trade’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group, now a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, says, there is a possibility that the two issues will intersect and collide, making matters worse. “There are going to be delays at the borders and it is going to take the EU and UK a while to get used to trading under the new system and it is possible that imported equipment necessary for dealing with the pandemic gets caught up in that,” says Lowe.
Brexit wrangle turns into classic Anglo-French confrontation
04 December 2020
Financial Times
“There is a certain element of theatre to the French behaviour,” said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank. “They play Mr Nasty and [Germany’s Angela] Merkel plays Mrs Nice.”
Britain’s little ports caught in a Brexit storm
04 December 2020
Politico
“HMRC should provide some of these sites with people,” said Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at Centre for European Reform, who has studied the risk of accidental illegality come the end of Brexit transition. “There should also be an acceptance that they will take a while to adapt. Government should also step in to prevent them losing business to larger ports,” he said.
CER podcast: Can the EU use trade and investment policies to advance its strategic goals?
03 December 2020
John Springford spoke to Soumaya Keynes about US trade policy and the Biden administration’s approach towards China.
CISAC Stanford: Russia's challenge to the West: A British perspective
01 December 2020
Ian Bond, director of foreign policy at the Centre for European Reform spoke to Stephen Pifer, about Russia and the UK.
Trade secrets: John Springford answers three questions
30 November 2020
Financial Times
Will it actually make much difference whether the UK and EU reach a Brexit deal or not? A free trade agreement (FTA) is so disappointing compared with the single market that it’s tempting not to care.
Merkels Signal "ist völlig irre"
27 November 2020
NTV
Ökonom Christian Odendahl kritisiert die Ansage der Kanzlerin, die Finanzhilfen könnten "nicht bis Ultimo" gezahlt werden.