Research
Europe needs both fiscal and energy solidarity
14 March 2023
EU governments should curb energy subsidies and raise support for clean energy investment. The EU should expand common borrowing to fund green investment: this would accelerate the energy transition.
Energy prices, not US subsidies, are Europe's biggest headache
14 March 2023
EurActiv
The EU should put more effort into lowering energy costs rather than subsidising industry in response to the US Inflation Reduction Act, argue John Springford and Elisabetta Cornago.
Can the EU afford to drive out American cloud services?
02 March 2023
Some EU countries want to stifle foreign cloud computing services. These countries’ concerns are not irrational. But disadvantaging America’s cloud giants will do Europe more harm than good.
Does the Windsor deal herald warmer ties between Britain and the EU?
01 March 2023
The Windsor deal on the Northern Ireland protocol may herald warmer UK-EU ties. It has strengthened von der Leyen and Sunak. But the Retained EU Law bill promises trouble.
The Protocol deal is a win for Sunak – and the EU
27 February 2023
The Spectator
Soon after Boris Johnson struck a deal with the EU in October 2019 on the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Northern Ireland protocol, the British government demanded changes to the Protocol.
Ditchley conference report: Macroeconomics in a time of pandemic and war
24 February 2023
In November, the CER held its annual economics conference on the macroeconomic consequences of the pandemic and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
After a year of Russia's war on Ukraine, has the West learned the right lessons?
24 February 2023
Encompass
There’s been a lot of talk in the last year about the Russian army’s inability to learn from its disastrous performance in Ukraine.
A year of war in Europe: The balance sheet
22 February 2023
Since Russia attacked Ukraine, the CER has tracked the war’s effect on the protagonists, the EU, NATO and other powers. What conclusions can be drawn from the past year?
Finland should be ready to join NATO, with or without Sweden
22 February 2023
Euronews
If Turkey is willing to ratify Finland’s NATO membership, there is little reason for Helsinki to wait for Stockholm.
Hungary, Poland and the rule of law: Follow the money
21 February 2023
Encompass
Since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine a year ago, economic sanctions have been at the forefront of EU policy making.
La compétitivité ne s’obtient pas en déversant des montagnes de cash
16 February 2023
L'AGEFI Hebdo
Lors du dernier Conseil européen, les 27 ont peiné à s’entendre sur le plan industriel proposé par Bruxelles.
Finland should prepare to join NATO on its own
16 February 2023
Last month, Turkey threatened to block Sweden’s NATO membership, while indicating its support for Finland’s accession to the alliance. If Turkey continues to block Swedish membership, Finland should join NATO alone.
The impact of the war in Ukraine: Annual report 2022
10 February 2023
The CER's annual report starts with an essay on how the war in Ukraine is changing Europe. The report then highlights some of the CER's most important publications and events from 2022.
Hungary, Poland and the EU: It's the money, stupid?
08 February 2023
After years playing by the legal book, the EU is now using its purse strings to curb democratic backsliding in Poland and Hungary. This is a good tactic, but not a sustainable strategy in the long-term.
Europe and the Iran nuclear threat
06 February 2023
Efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal have stalled and Tehran is closer than ever to having nuclear weapons. Europe needs a new strategy.
CER Bulletin - 25th Anniversary Edition: Issue 148 - February/March 2023
01 February 2023
- The CER's mission is as vital as ever, Nick Butler
- 25 years on, the CER is more necessary than ever, David Miliband
- The CER at 25: Ahead of its times, Heather Grabbe
Press
Winter is gone. But can we really say Europe's energy crisis is over?
21 March 2023
Euronews
Elisabetta Cornago, a senior energy researcher at the Centre for European Reform (CER), described the savings as an "impressive response" but said some of the changes, particularly the industrial cutbacks, were temporary rather than "structural.""The behavioural response was driven by price level and the fear of how prices will impact your life. These fears and concerns led consumers to stay on the conservative side and try to limit the hours they had the heating on," Cornago told Euronews.
If it’s growth the chancellor wants, here’s one suggestion: Rejoin the EU
19 March 2023
The Observer
John Springford of the Centre for European Reform estimates that the negative impact of gratuitously imposing trade barriers on our nearest trading partners – via higher import prices, loss of vital immigrant workers, and general uncertainty affecting business confidence – had cost our economy 5.5% of GDP by the summer of 2022.
EU kontert Subventionspläne Chinas und der USA
17 March 2023
Süddeutsche Zeitung
Experten der Berliner Denkfabrik Centre for European Reform können den Plänen deshalb einiges abgewinnen. Ihnen zufolge sendet Europa mit den Plänen "ein wichtiges politisches Signal, dass die EU sich nicht kampflos deindustrialisieren wird und dass die Dekarbonisierung eine Chance für eine grüne Industrialisierung ist."
Made in the UK advertising campaign 'trying to hide Brexit mayhem'
19 March 2023
The National
Research by the Centre for European Reform think-tank in 2019 suggested that Brexit had shrunk Britain’s economy by 2.9% and said exports had fallen by 3.4%.
Europe looks to beef up border security as illegal migration surges
17 March 2023
Yahoo News
“You can only claim asylum if you arrive in Europe,” Luigi Scazzieri, senior research fellow on migration and security issues at the Centre for European Reform, told Yahoo News. “If the thrust of Europe’s immigration policy becomes to keep people from arriving in the first place, then that right is being eroded.”
UK Budget: Why the economy has grown so slowly
14 March 2023
Financial Times
John Springford, deputy director for the Centre for European Reform, think-tank estimates that these effects and more had cost the UK economy 5.5 per cent of GDP by the summer of 2022. “Weak investment from 2016 is curtailing today’s output, car manufacturers are running down capital and stocks, immigration from the EU has slowed, and the retained EU law bill could mean divergence from EU rules,” he says.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tries free-market recipe to fix Britain's woes
14 March 2023
The Wall Street Journal
Together with other factors, such as increased trade barriers with Europe after Brexit, the British economy is 5.5% smaller than it otherwise would have been, according to estimates by John Springford, the deputy director at the Center for European Reform think tank in London.
How has Brexit affected business investment in the UK?
13 March 2023
Economics Observatory
John Springford for the Centre for European Reform conducts a ‘doppelgänger’ analysis to explore the costs of Brexit. This analysis uses statistical techniques to find the best combination of other countries that match a range of economic variables for the UK before the referendum, and uses this same combination to project what might have happened thereafter.
France-UK summit kindles ‘Le bromance’
10 March 2023
The Wall Street Journal
Mr Macron needs fresh allies in Europe, as tensions with Germany rise on issues including energy policy and Germany’s at times hesitant support for military aid to Ukraine, said Charles Grant, the director of the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank. “Macron needs to diversify, he needs a few new friends in Europe,” Mr Grant said.
Brexit U-turn: Builders to get special immigration status to tackle construction industry crisis
09 March 2023
The Independent
Brexit has led to a shortfall of around 330,000 workers in the UK, mostly in low-skilled sectors, a report by the Centre for European Reform (CER) and UK in a Changing Europe found earlier this year.
Podcasts
CER podcast: What does the Windsor Framework mean for EU-UK relations?
10 March 2023
In this week’s episode of the CER podcast Charles Grant is joined by Catherine Barnard to discuss the recently agreed Windsor Framework.
CER podcast: One year of war in Ukraine
24 February 2023
In this week’s episode of the CER podcast Ian Bond discusses the Ukraine-Russia war with Sir Richard Shireff & Dr Olesya Khromeychuk
Ask CER - Episode 8: Inflation Reduction Act, Qatargate and Iran
09 February 2023
You asked, we answered: the eighth episode of our 'Ask CER' podcast series.
CER podcast: Brexit and the labour market
25 January 2023
In this week’s episode of the CER podcast Jonathan Portes and John Springford discuss their recent post-Brexit labour market analysis.
CER podcast: The cost of Brexit
11 January 2023
In this week’s episode of the CER podcast Helmi Pillai interviews John Springford about his most recent cost of Brexit analysis.
Events
Hybrid discussion on 'Delivering REPowerEU: What more needs to be done?'
14 March 2023
Hybrid Brussels/Zoom
With Matthew Baldwin, Elisabetta Cornago and John Springford. Watch the video of the event here.
Hybrid discussion on 'How could the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement be improved?'
09 March 2023
Hybrid London/Zoom
With Catherine Barnard, Stefaan De Rynck, Iain Martin and Ivan Rogers
Discussion on 'The EU institutions: One year into the war and (just over) one year away from the elections'
08 March 2023
London
With Klaus Welle
CER/Clifford Chance hybrid discussion on 'Industrial policy and the future of state aid'
01 March 2023
Hybrid Brussels/Zoom
With Roger Coelho, Ben Smulders and Sigrid de Vries
Discussion on 'Monetary policy after the energy shock'
16 February 2023
London
With Fabio Panetta, Member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank.
Watch the video of the event here.