Single market, competition & trade
The EU's problem with May's plan for Brexit
20 July 2018
The EU doesn’t like the UK’s plan for Brexit and says one cannot be in just parts of the single market. But if May shifts her red lines, the EU response could be more positive.
Regime change? The European economy to 2030
20 July 2018
The crises of the 1970s led to the single currency and a deeply integrated single market. What economic regime will the EU need to build after the crises of the last decade?
Dead or alive? A UK-US trade deal
20 July 2018
The Chequers proposal would likely come at the cost of a transatlantic trade deal, but Theresa May is right to prioritise ties with the EU.
Bulletin Issue 121 - August/September 2018
20 July 2018
- Regime change? The European economy to 2030, John Springford
- The EU's problem with May's plan for Brexit , Charles Grant
- Dead or alive? A UK-US trade deal, Sam Lowe, Beth Oppenheim
Inching our way towards Jersey
11 July 2018
The EU will probably reject Theresa May’s Chequers compromise. Rather than confronting the EU on its fundamental principles, the UK should build upon the foundations of a customs union.
What's the cost of Brexit so far?
23 June 2018
New analysis by the CER – which we will update quarterly – estimates that the UK economy is 2.1 per cent smaller as a result of the vote to leave the EU.
Is Macron becoming isolated in Europe?
13 June 2018
Macron thinks the EU is not viable without radical reform. His priority is to reshape the eurozone, but Germany is blocking his bolder ideas. He risks isolation in Europe, which could weaken him at home.
Bulletin Issue 120 - June/July 2018
30 May 2018
- On Brexit, TTIP and the City of London, Sam Lowe
- Trump and Europe: Atlantic hurricane season?, Ian Bond
- Can EU-UK defence negotiations be positive-sum?, Sophia Besch
On Brexit, TTIP and the City of London
30 May 2018
The EU was keen to include financial services in TTIP, the proposed trade agreement with the US. Is its reluctance to do so with the UK mere hypocrisy?
UK must swallow the unpalatable Irish backstop
15 May 2018
Theresa May and the Brexiters should have the courage of their convictions and agree to a backstop that grants a special status to Northern Ireland.
The EU budget after Brexit: Reform not revolution
24 April 2018
With the UK leaving, the EU needs a revised budget. It should cut rebates, agriculture spending, and structural funds; and spend more on border security, education, and research.
Is Labour selling the UK a Turkey?
12 April 2018
A future UK-EU customs union should not be ruled out. While it would place some constraints on a future UK independent trade policy, the positives far outweigh the negatives.
Brexit and the financial services industry: The story so far
27 March 2018
The City will survive Brexit, but it will not emerge unscathed. In order to remain competitive Britain’s financial services industry will need to adapt, as it has always done.
Will the unity of the 27 crack?
15 March 2018
Some British politicians believe that the 27 will divide during the Brexit trade negotiations, because of their differing economic interests. But disagreements between the 27 are minor, thanks to Theresa May's red lines.
Brexit and rules of origin: Why free trade agreements ≠ free trade
13 March 2018
Without an EU-UK customs union British exporters will face a new barrier to trade: rules of origin. No amount of positive thinking and innovative solutions can eliminate this problem.
Theresa May's Irish trilemma
07 March 2018
Theresa May must choose two of the following three options: an exit from the single market and customs union, no hard border with Ireland, and an all-UK approach to Brexit.
The Ukraine model for Brexit: Is dissociation just like association?
27 February 2018
Some argue that a Ukraine-style association agreement offers the UK a viable model for its future relationship with the EU, combining both ‘sovereignty’ and close economic ties.
The fight for liberal values: Annual report 2017
06 February 2018
The CER's annual report features essays on the creation of the CER, the CER at 20, Brexit, economics and Donald Trump's impact on geopolitics, it also highlights some of our work on foreign and defence policy.
Britain's services firms can't defy gravity, alas
05 February 2018
Britain's specialism in traded services, some of which can be delivered electronically, has led Brexiters to claim that the country's trade will inevitably unmoor itself from Europe. In fact, Britain is not about to enter a "post-geography trading world".
Italy after the election: From partner to spoiler?
30 January 2018
Italy's 4th March election is likely to be less consequential than many assume. But it will highlight the urgency of reforming the eurozone and better managing migration.