Research
David Davis' big Brexit bout eclipsed by scrap in London
17 July 2017
Financial Times
Spread over two or three years, annual payments of about €10bn net would address one of the EU's biggest concerns - a budget crunch that forces it to prematurely reopen its long-term budget before 2020. Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform has heard that may be enough for some capitals.
Britain's Conservative cabinet shambles over Brexit
17 July 2017
Financial Times
According to Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform, the Treasury has written an unpublished analysis that shows that the economic benefits of Mr Fox’s future trade agreements with non-EU states would be significantly less than the economic cost of leaving the customs union. Such a document, if leaked or published, could be a blow to Mr Fox’s position.
Brexit talks round 2: What to expect
16 July 2017
Deutsche Welle
Estimates of the potential end sum cover a wide spectrum but most are relatively consistent. The Centre for European Reform projects a figure from 25 to 73 billion euros ($29-84 billion).
Britains Brexit chaos leaves EU friends and foes bemused
15 July 2017
Bloomberg
“Our friends are concerned - and less friendly countries are bemused and astonished - that the great British machine, which is world famous for efficiency, now seems to be all over the place,” said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform in London. “Britain’s name has never been held in lower regard than now in terms of its competence, its ability to organize, its ability to be strategic and influence anything.”
Think Tank Awards 2017: Who won?
14 July 2017
Prospect
The winner this year of the best UK international affairs think-tank category was the Centre for European Reform, which enlightened anyone interested on Britain’s negotiating position, the stance of the “other side” (the EU negotiators), and where the discussions are likely to head in the end.
BBC Radio World at One: EU first
14 July 2017
Simon Tilford speaks to 'The World at One' about Emmanuel Macron and his priorities (from 15:27mins).
Macrons riskante Reformwette
14 July 2017
Der Spiegel
"Die meisten internationalen Schätzungen ergeben, dass es nur geringe Jobeffekte hat, den Schutz für Beschäftigte abzubauen", schreibt Christian Odendahl vom Centre for European Reform (CER).
Germany's labour reforms may not deserve their fame
13 July 2017
Bloomberg
Germany's start-of-the-century labour reforms are getting a lot of attention these days, both as the cure-all for the country's previous economic woes and as the culprit behind inequality.
Donald Trump z wizytą we Francji: Emmanuel Macron przyjmuje go po cesarsku
13 July 2017
Rzeczpospolita
Macron chce być pośrednikiem między Ameryką i Europę, bo nikt inny nie może przejąć tej prestiżowej roli. Z powodu Brexitu brytyjski rząd jest bardzo słaby, jego wpływ na Europę niewielki. Trump z kolei ostro zaatakował Niemcy z powodu nadwyżki handlowej, a Merkel odpowiedziała na szczycie G20 atakiem na amerykański protekcjonizm i torpedowanie walki z ociepleniem klimatu – mówi „Rzeczpospolitej" Sophia Besch, ekspertka Centre for European Reform w Londynie.
China's new silk road encroaches on US turf in Eastern Europe
12 July 2017
Bloomberg
“There may be more willingness to put human-rights issues with China on the back burner,” said Ian Bond, the director of foreign policy at the Centre for European Reform and a former British diplomat. “In many respects, economically, there is a lot of concern in Europe about the direction the US is heading in.”
The myth of the German jobs miracle
11 July 2017
Financial Times
Christian Odendahl is one of the finest analysts of the German economy writing in English. So it’s worth your time to closely read his review of the country’s labour market reforms of the early 2000s, sometimes called “Agenda 2010” or the “Hartz Reforms”.
Criminal exports
10 July 2017
Financial Times
Camino Mortera-Martinez of the Centre for European Reform says the European Arrest Warrant has made it easier for the UK to extradite criminals but Britain will find it almost impossible to negotiate as good an arrangement after Brexit.
CER wins the 2017 Prospect Award for best UK international affairs think-tank
10 July 2017
At the annual Prospect Think-Tank Awards, the Centre for European Reform won in the best UK international affairs think-tank category.
German industry warns UK not to expect help in Brexit negotiations
09 July 2017
The Observer
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform think-tank, said that even if German business did agitate for a good deal for Britain, there was little evidence Merkel would listen. “Many of the key policy-makers in Germany do not care what the business lobbies say,” he said. “They care about the principles. One of their principles is that the single market is indivisible. Another is that the British must be seen to pay a price for Brexit, doing less well outside the EU than in it.”
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.
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.
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.”