Press

Britain's and the EU's Brexit unreality

Sam Lowe
02 March 2020
The Atlantic
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the the Centre for European Reform think tank, told me that, at its core, the EU did not accept that its negotiation with Britain was one between equals. He said the EU was “trying to use its economic weight to impose conditions on the U.K. it wouldn't normally ask of others.”

The EU should step up engagement with Belarus

Khrystyna Parandii
02 March 2020
Emerging Europe
The EU’s engagement with Belarus has been limited due to the country’s political oppression, human rights abuses, and close ties to Russia.

Londyn liczy na podziały w Unii Europejskiej. Jak dotąd ta strategia się nie sprawdziła

Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
02 March 2020
Forbes
Twierdzenie, że Unia Europejska przystępuje do negocjacji z Wielką Brytanią osłabiona, należy traktować z przymrużeniem oka.

Britain's Brexit negotiator goes to work on an egg as first round of talks takes place in Brussels

Sam Lowe
02 March 2020
The Telegraph
"As we're going to have to budge with the US, I can't see it holding with the EU either," said Sam Lowe, trade expert at the Centre for European Reform.

Boris Johnson is clearly in no rush to do a big US trade deal, as proven by his tough red lines

Sam Lowe
02 March 2020
The Telegraph
For those of us who assumed the UK would rush head first into trade talks with the United States, myself included, the last few months have come as somewhat of a surprise.

NHS is 'off the table' in US trade talks, says Government after fears of drug price rise

Sam Lowe
02 March 2020
The Telegraph
Sam Lowe, of the Centre for European Reform think-ank, said the tight UK-US objectives suggested the government was "clearly in no rush" to conclude a deal with the US and would have to make concessions, probably on agriculture.

Polskie Radio: Opublikowano mandaty negocjacyjne w sprawie umowy handlowej między Unią Europejską a Wielką Brytanią

Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
29 February 2020
Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform spoke to Polskie Radio about the EU and UK negotiating mandates.

No-deal Brexit is back - and it looks more likely than ever

Sam Lowe
29 February 2020
CNN
"While there are clearly disagreements when it comes to the EU's preconditions for negotiating a trade deal - particularly over fish, the role of the European Court of Justice, and the exact nature of the level playing field requirements - when it comes to what the future economic partnership actually looks like, the EU and UK really aren't that far apart," says the Centre for European Reform's Samuel Lowe.

EUidea podcast: Differentiated integration among the post-Brexit scenarios

Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
28 February 2020
“Even if we have some agreement on free trade or perhaps security [by the end of 2020] we will probably be discussing Brexit for years to come” said Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform.

Channel 4 News: Britain talks post-Brexit trade with the EU

Sam Lowe
28 February 2020
Gary Gibbon caught up with Same Lowe of the Centre for European Reform to wade through the documents and tell us what they say about the chance of a deal and the shape of a deal.

Boris Johnson's one word response to Barnier's demands sends shockwaves to Brussels

Sam Lowe
28 February 2020
The Express
Sam Lowe, from the Centre for European Reform, pointed out that during the previous phase of negigoations: “The UK has compromised quite a lot, the EU has compromised very little.“We will have to see if that trend continues.”He continued: “Throughout the process, the EU has said we can give you a deal like Canada, we will just ask more of you.“It’s fine if the UK says it’s not fair. The EU don’t care if it’s fair, they have made their mind up."

Could the deaths of 33 Turkish soldiers in Syria spark another refugee crisis in Europe?

28 February 2020
Euronews
Research fellow Luigi Scazzieri, from the Centre of European Reform (CER), told Euronews this could lead to "hundreds of thousands of refugees" arriving in the EU, and could see "a break down of its relationship with Turkey and greatly straining the EU's cohesion".

Channel 4 News: Government reveals Brexit negotiation demands

Sam Lowe
27 February 2020
"Throughout the process the EU has said we can give you a deal like Canada it's just we are going to ask more of you. It's fine if the UK says that's not fair... the EU don't care if it's fair or not" Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at...

BBC Today Programme: UK mandate for trade negotiations

Sam Lowe
27 February 2020
"The barriers for trading within the EU are four times lower than if you were to sell into the EU from outside", Sam Lowe a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform told the Today Programme (from 43 mins)

Brexit Chaos: UK threatens to walk away from EU trade talks by June

Sam Lowe
27 February 2020
International Business Times
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, said a compromise “will no doubt be difficult. What is perhaps surprising is just how aligned the EU and UK are with regard to the nature of the eventual trade agreement.”

Boris Johnson tells EU he wants sovereignty - whatever the cost

Sam Lowe
27 February 2020
Sky News
"The difference between the May approach and the Johnson approach is that Theresa May always wanted to find a halfway house," said Sam Lowe, research fellow at the Centre for European Reform think-tank."She wanted a way of leaving the EU, giving the people who voted for Brexit what they wanted on the sovereignty front but mitigating the economic consequences.

CER podcast: A 'sovereign' EU needs a stable economy

Christian Odendahl, John Springford
26 February 2020
The EU’s economic size is its main source of global power. But what are the consequences of the eurozone’s economic instability – and its large current account surplus – for the EU’s ability to act on the global stage? John Springford and Christian Odendahl discuss.

The highest hurdle to a UK-EU trade deal

Sam Lowe
26 February 2020
Financial Times
Four of the UK’s most knowledgeable minds on trade offer their thoughts on the chances of a deal. Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform: 6.5/10. It is possible to see a way through on most of the contentious issues. Once they are resolved there is actually much agreement between the EU and UK as to the nature of the final trade deal. The issue giving me cause for concern is that the day-one disruption at the border is similar if the desired free trade agreement is concluded, to if it isn’t, which reduces the political benefit to Boris of making concessions to the EU.

UK-EU trade talks: The problems — and potential solutions

Sam Lowe
25 February 2020
Financial Times
“There will be a lot of noise and shouting but I think there will be a trade deal this year,” said Sam Lowe, trade expert at the Centre for European Reform think-tank. “I just don’t think it will be a very good trade deal when you think of the disruption it will involve.”Mr Lowe added: “Both sides are pretty aligned on what they want.”

Belarus reset

Khrystyna Parandii
25 February 2020
Financial Times
Khrystyna Parandii at the Centre for European Reform makes the case for the EU to restart its relations with Belarus as the country looks to distance itself from the Kremlin.