Research
EU-UK negotiations: No need to panic (yet)
12 June 2020
A deal between the EU and UK remains possible. But neither side is likely to compromise on its current negotiating position until later in the year, when the cost of failure will become significantly more tangible.
Hand-wringing for Hong Kong: What else can the EU do?
11 June 2020
The EU should not be indifferent to what is happening in Hong Kong. China’s willingness to violate Hong Kong’s autonomy is part of a pattern of increasingly confrontational behaviour.
Bulletin issue 132 - June/July 2020
29 May 2020
- Securing Europe's medical supply chains against future shocks, Sam Lowe
- The recovery fund faces a tricky passage, Christian Odendahl, John Springford
- Trump's COVID-19 response is deepening the transatlantic rift, Luigi Scazzieri
Three ways COVID-19 will cause economic divergence in Europe
21 May 2020
Europe's economies will diverge further as a result of COVID-19, as the economic impact will be larger in Southern Europe. Fiscal transfers would help to restart the EU's 'convergence machine'.
Coronavirus is pushing the EU in new and undesirable directions
15 May 2020
COVID-19 is transforming the EU works in several ways, accelerating trends that were visible before the virus struck. These changes are good news for anti-EU populists.
How to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol
14 May 2020
The UK must face up to its responsibilities and work with the EU to ensure goods can move as freely as possible between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Putin hits a bad patch
07 May 2020
Putin may have thought 2020 was going to be an excellent year for him. Instead, he has to deal with the oil price crash and COVID-19.
Gas heats up the eastern Mediterranean
23 April 2020
Disagreements over who gets to exploit gas in the eastern Mediterranean have raised tensions in the region, led to EU sanctions on Turkey, and made resolving the Libyan conflict more difficult. Much is now riding on Ankara’s next moves.
Why the UK should extend the transition period
20 April 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic means the UK should request a transition extension as a matter of urgency. To do otherwise would be unnecessarily reckless.
How the EU should co-ordinate an end to the COVID-19 lockdown
14 April 2020
European governments hope that contact tracing apps can allow them to ease lockdowns. But much work must be done at both national and EU level before restrictions can be eased.
COVID-19: Can the EU avoid an epidemic of authoritarianism?
09 April 2020
Most EU governments have restricted fundamental rights in order to tackle COVID-19. The EU should check that measures are justifiable, proportionate and respect its norms, which is not the case in Hungary.
A proposal for a coronabond: The Pandemic Solidarity Instrument
06 April 2020
The economic hit is so severe, and the demands on fiscal policy so high, that the EU needs to share the burden between stronger and weaker countries.
Trouble for the EU is brewing in coronavirus-hit Italy
02 April 2020
The COVID-19 crisis facing Italy may be new and unprecedented, but for many Italians the European Union’s reaction has been no surprise.
The COVID-19 pandemic: The EU must think and act globally
27 March 2020
European leaders are naturally focusing on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their own continent. But a global crisis demands more than local solutions; the EU should do more beyond its borders.
Bulletin issue 131 - April/May 2020
26 March 2020
- The two economic stages of coronavirus, Christian Odendahl, John Springford
- Turkey and the EU: Preserving transactional co-operation, Luigi Scazzieri
- Can the EU's defence ambitions survive budget cuts?, Sophia Besch
The EU needs to step up its response to the COVID-19 outbreak
23 March 2020
After initially responding slowly and in a haphazard manner, the EU has taken important steps to counter the coronavirus outbreak.
Bold policies needed to counter the coronavirus recession
10 March 2020
The COVID-19 crisis is serious, and will have severe economic consequences. But if matched by aggressive action from fiscal and monetary authorities, the economic fallout is manageable.
Should the EU develop 'European champions' to fend off Chinese competition?
05 March 2020
China is distorting world trade through its aggressive industrial policy. But fostering ‘European champions’ in order to compete is premature – and risky.
Will courting Putin always end in tears?
03 March 2020
Putin is good at persuading Western leaders that bad relations with Russia are their fault. They should defend their interests better, but also keep talking to Russia.
The future EU-UK relationship and the (relative) case for optimism
02 March 2020
Beyond the headline disagreements, both the EU and UK have similar expectations as to what a future free trade agreement can and cannot deliver.