Press
Brexit would be a victory for xenophobes, we must not turn back the clock
29 April 2016
The Telegraph
Britain's EU referendum will be a vote on immigration. The out camp know that voters are aware of the economic and political risks of Brexit, but hope that their resentment of "uncontrolled" immigration from the EU will trump these concerns.
Video of CER/DIW Berlin roundtable on 'Britain's role in Europe' with Josckha Fischer and David Lidington
28 April 2016
Josckha Fischer and David Lidington discuss the role of Britain in Europe at a CER/DIW roundtable held in Berlin.
For UK and EU, breaking up is legally hard to do
28 April 2016
The Wall Street Journal
Agata Gostynska-Jakubowska of the pro-EU Centre for European Reform says delaying for too long also "might be unacceptable for the EU partners," further eroding goodwill. The UK, by extending the agony, would be an unwanted participant in EU meetings. Meanwhile at home, the political pressure would mount from victorious Leave advocates to unshackle from the EU.
Duncan Smith's free movement fig-leaf
28 April 2016
Prospect
Brexiteers, after a difficult start to the campaign, are trying to push the EU debate onto immigration.
Der "Gottvater" und der Brexit: Joschka Fischer geht auf die Knie
28 April 2016
N-TV
Ex-Außenminister Joschka Fischer zeigt sich ungewohnt demütig. Vielleicht weil es um eine Herzensangelegenheit geht, um Europa. Dem Staatenverbund droht der Brexit. Es steht viel auf dem Spiel.
Es ist, als sei er nie weggewesen: Joschka Fischer, der "Gottvater", wie er auch im Auswärtigen Amt augenzwinkernd genannt wurde. Er ist zu...
Es ist, als sei er nie weggewesen: Joschka Fischer, der "Gottvater", wie er auch im Auswärtigen Amt augenzwinkernd genannt wurde. Er ist zu...
Judy Asks: Will TTIP happen?
27 April 2016
Carnegie Europe
A selection of experts answer a new question from Judy Dempsey on the foreign and security policy challenges shaping Europe’s role in the world.
Danske EU-politikere om Thulesens Brexit-plan: "Det rene, guddommelige vås" (in Danish)
26 April 2016
Politiken
Hvad er det for en mellemting?
Hos Centre for European Reform (CER) i London kan vicedirektør Simon Tilford se mindst to afgørende grunde til, at Kristian Thulesen Dahls analyse efter hans mening er forkert.
»For det første kan hverken Frankrigs præsident eller Tysklands forbundskansler holde til at give Storbritannien et totalt tag-selv-bord, hvis det bliver et nej. De føler, at de allerede har givet David Cameron store indrømmelser. Hvis de gik endnu videre, ville det få EU til at falde helt fra hinanden«, siger han.
Hos Centre for European Reform (CER) i London kan vicedirektør Simon Tilford se mindst to afgørende grunde til, at Kristian Thulesen Dahls analyse efter hans mening er forkert.
»For det første kan hverken Frankrigs præsident eller Tysklands forbundskansler holde til at give Storbritannien et totalt tag-selv-bord, hvis det bliver et nej. De føler, at de allerede har givet David Cameron store indrømmelser. Hvis de gik endnu videre, ville det få EU til at falde helt fra hinanden«, siger han.
Arguments for Brexit do not add up
26 April 2016
Financial Times
First, membership has brought few benefits. This is false. The Centre for European Reform estimates that it has raised trade with EU members by 55 per cent, increasing productivity and output.
Brown is back on the warpath for the EU vote
22 April 2016
Evening Standard
The former Prime Minister, speaking at the evening at the Royal Society, organised by the Centre for European Reform, pointed out how important it was for Britain to be in the room for EU discussions. Among the guests and speakers were J P Morgan's Stephanie Flanders, economist Vicky Pryce and George Osborne's former chief of staff Rupert Harrison. Brown recounted the negotiations in 1999 to ensure Britain and other EU countries not in the single currency were allowed into the group's financial discussions.
Losing the UK wouldn't be so bad for Europe
22 April 2016
Bloomberg
The London-based Centre for European Reform, has just published a report identifying more specific effects that a British exit, or Brexit, might have on the EU. It didn't find too many of them. The UK's departure might actually be beneficial to the bloc's cohesion, though it'll lose an important voice on policy matters.
The Guardian view on a key week in the EU debate
22 April 2016
The Guardian
In the second half of the week, the focus has shifted to global stability. First, eight former US treasury secretaries weighed in to warn that Brexit represents a critical threat to the global economy. Plenty of home-grown economists [listen here to the CER's debate at their 'Economists on Brexit' conference] also agree.
Gordon Brown calls on pro-EU campaign to lighten up and ditch Project Fear
22 April 2016
The Sun
"In this debate, those of us who are supporting remaining in Europe have first of all got to be positive,” Mr Brown told a meeting of 100 leading economists held by the Centre for European Reform. "We have got to put forward the positive arguments." he said. He added: "People’s concerns are not just economic and financial but they relate to security and how safe they feel, and they relate to what kind of country we are becoming, our cultures, our traditions and what is happening on our borders."
UK after Brexit: Options for trade deals if voters elect to leave
22 April 2016
Financial Times
The Centre for European Reform points out that most EU states buy more from Britain than they sell to it and that while the EU buys half the UK’s exports, Britain buys a little over 10 per cent of exports from the rest of the EU.
Audio recording of the 'Economists on Brexit' debate
22 April 2016
Listen to our lively debate on the motion: 'Leaving the EU would damage Britain's economy'.
Ex-PM Brown says Britain needs to hear passion for EU membership
22 April 2016
Reuters
"My message is be positive, be principled and be patriotic, and put the case with passion," Gordon Brown, said in a speech hosted by the Centre for European Reform in London. "It would be a tragedy if those people who say Britain should leave the European Union were identified as the patriotic group, and those who wanted to stay in were seen in some way as standing up for Europe against Britain."
Obama arrives in UK with royal lunch, Brexit on the menu
22 April 2016
Daily Mail
"Obama is not an instinctive pro-European," said Ian Bond of the London-based Centre for European Reform think-tank. "He opposes Brexit because it risks creating more problems for America in Europe." Polls put the pro-EU and Brexit camps neck-and-neck among those who express a preference to vote, although there is a large pool of people who remain undecided. Obama's "focus is on how Brexit would affect Europe's ability to help America tackle international problems," said Bond.
Comercio dice que el TTIP elevará el peso del Atlántico en la economía global
21 April 2016
Expansion
El secretario de Estado de Comercio, Jaime García-Legaz, ha subrayado hoy que el objetivo del Tratado de Libre Comercio entre Estados Unidos y Europa (TTIP) es cambiar los patrones del comercio internacional y convertir el Atlántico en la "columna vertebral" de la economía mundial.Durante un acto sobre geopolítica del TTIP organizado por el Real Instituto Elcano y el Centre for European Reform, García-Legaz ha asegurado que el peso de la Unión Europea (UE) y Estados Unidos ha disminuido debido a que las exportaciones de los países del Pacífico están creciendo a un ritmo mayor.
What would a post-Brexit EU be like?
21 April 2016
Prospect
If the UK voted to leave the European Union, Britain would certainly change - for better or worse, depending on your point of view. But the rest of the EU would change too.
Highlights of Gordon Brown's speech at the 'Economists on Brexit conference'
21 April 2016
In a speech to the CER, Gordon Brown demanded a positive, principled, patriotic case "with all the passion we can bring to bear" to show the future benefits membership of the EU can bring to our children and grandchildren.
Preparations for a Brexit: Views from Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain
21 April 2016
LSE blog
If Britain votes to leave the EU it will have to negotiate its exit and a new post-withdrawal relationship with the EU, one that will have to be agreed by the remaining 27 EU member-states and the European Parliament.