Research
Why May needs Brexit to go down to the wire
05 September 2018
Prospect
Michel Barnier has repeatedly warned the British that the clock is ticking in the Brexit negotiations, and there is wide consensus that Britain needs to get its skates on.
Theresa May stakes all on Chequers 2.0
03 September 2018
Financial Times
Several news stories and analyses (notably this story by Alex Barker, Laura Hughes and George Parker and this op-ed in the FT by Charles Grant) have looked at what the PM’s new approach entails. ...Mr Grant says some governments in northern Europe could probably live with the main thrust of what the UK wants, which is to be in the single market for goods, but not services or labour.
Think Tank Awards: Results 2018
02 September 2018
Prospect
And the winner this year stood out as uniquely timely in this hour for its determination to keep the Brexit debate grounded in analysis and fact rather than emotion and bluster. That think tank was the Centre for European Reform.
EU backs Serbia-Kosovo land swap idea
31 August 2018
The National
Ian Bond, director of foreign policy at the Centre for European Reform, equated the idea of border changes to “sticking a hand into a hornet’s nest”. “The question is whether you can contain territory swaps between Serbia and Kosovo and say this doesn’t set a precedent for anyone else,” Mr Bond told The National.
If Britain supports free trade it needs to oil the wheels in Africa
31 August 2018
The Times
Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform, points out that it is crucial to Ford’s supply chain; its engines are made in Dagenham, transported to South Africa, built into a vehicle and sold back into the EU tariff-free.
Brexit 'domino' fears resurface, just when UK needs it least
30 August 2018
Bloomberg
“The fact that the EU is itself facing increasing challenges makes its position toward the UK even less flexible,” said Agata Gostynska-Jakubowska, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform think tank in London. “The situation in Poland, Hungary, also the possible result in Sweden, is only reinforcing this narrative.”
LBC: UK's post-Brexit trade with South Africa
29 August 2018
Sam Lowe a senior research fellow at the CER spoke to James O'Brien about the UK's post-Brexit trade with South Africa, and how to maintain the supply chain to function as it does currently (from 1:50 mins).
'Once in a lifetime opportunity': Calls grow for government to deliver on Green Brexit promises
29 August 2018
BusinessGreen
Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, told BusinessGreen the idea the UK can use Brexit to become a "world leader" on future environmental standards was "slightly naïve". "As a relatively smaller economy we'll struggle to pull away from the regulatory gravity of our nearest neighbour," he warned. "Of course we can innovate and push forward with new technologies, but it is yet to be determined whether we can be more effective outside of the EU than in."
UK eyes alternative to Galileo satellite system as Brexit row widens
29 August 2018
Defence News
The row between London and Brussels could have wider implications for Britain’s security relations with the EU, according to analyst Sophia Besch with the Centre for European Reform. As the disagreement over Galileo gathered momentum earlier this year, the think-tank tweeted: “Galileo could set a dangerous precedent for Brexit defence negotiations in the future — or it could serve as a wake-up call for EU and UK negotiators."
BBC News at 10: UK trade with Africa
28 August 2018
Sam Lowe a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform spoke to BBC News on British trade with Africa after Brexit.
A No-Deal Brexit could mean higher prices, more red tape and less sperm
24 August 2018
Bloomberg
Sam Lowe, trade expert at the Centre for European Reform, said that the documents probably contained few surprises for large businesses. “Bigger companies can deal with this, and are probably starting to think about dealing with it,” he said. “For the smaller guys, all this will be news to them.”
RTS: Grande-Bretagne: Les anti-Brexit demandent un nouveau référendum
24 August 2018
Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform spoke to the RTS about the call for a second referendum (from 1:25 mins).
Greece warns 'no-deal' Brexit would plunge country into 'financial and political instability'
17 August 2018
The Telegraph
“The EU-27 believe that the costs of conceding to the UK and giving it a sweetheart deal would be of greater danger to the single market and to the European project than the gap in the EU budget itself,” said Agata Gostynska-Jakubowska, a senior fellow at the Centre for European Reform.
EU rejects claim Genoa bridge collapse linked to its spending rules
16 August 2018
The Guardian
Luigi Scazzieri, a specialist in EU-Italy relations at the Centre for European Reform, said Salvini’s remarks were clearly “trying to deflect all kinds of responsibility”, but may strike a chord with Italian voters weary of austerity. “The commission is approaching this as a technicality. Salvini is making a broader political point, which will resonate much more with Italians,” Scazzieri said.
How can we stop the M20 from turning into a lorry park?
15 August 2018
Prospect
To avoid disruption to just-in-time production, and safeguard British manufacturing’s position, Theresa May wants the UK to remain within the EU’s regulatory union for goods, alongside a customs union.
Brexit: EU leaders consider 'Jersey model'
10 August 2018
Jersey Evening Post
Supporters of the Jersey model, which was proposed by the Centre for European Reform think-tank earlier this year, say that it would mean border checks would not need to be applied to the land border with Ireland – a key Brexit issue.
European leaders mulling Jersey compromise, defying Michel Barnier's line
09 August 2018
The Telegraph
European leaders would not want Britain to benefit overall by leaving their club –and the price they want it to pay is becoming clear. The Centre for European Reform's trade wonk Sam Lowe tells me that the White Paper (which fleshed out Mrs May’s Chequers plan) "almost gets to Jersey", but that Mrs May would be expected to "accept that potential future divergence is not on the table" over goods.
Vice News: Theresa May heads to France as Brexit talks go south
09 August 2018
“Michel Barnier has had a very tough line and he's taking his directions from France and Germany, and Theresa May's plan is to try and undercut the European Commission,” says John Springford, a Brexit expert at the Centre of European Reform.
How no-deal Brexit chatter could be helping UK's Theresa May
07 August 2018
Bloomberg
“The government forcing people to think about it now ultimately strengthens their hands,” said Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London. “It means thought is put into why pursuing such an outcome is foolhardy.”
Jeremy Corbyn ditches consensus to reject EU trade deals
04 August 2018
Financial Times
Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, another think-tank, said such efforts had yet to bear fruit. “We know very well what Corbyn is against on trade but not much about what he has to replace it with,” he added.