Research
No pain, no gain? The Digital Markets Act
10 January 2022
The EU's upcoming rules for big tech will degrade some digital services to improve long-term competition and innovation. The trade-off is justified – but law-makers must keep consumers on-side.
As Frost departs, will the ice melt across the Channel?
20 December 2021
David Frost’s resignation as Brexit minister matters: he greatly influenced Boris Johnson’s Brexit policy. With Liz Truss replacing him, UK policy towards the EU may become less confrontational.
Is the European Peace Facility really about peace?
17 December 2021
The European Peace Facility (EPF) is a new pot of money intended to make the EU a stronger military actor in crises. But the ability to spend more will not in itself make the Union better able to resolve conflicts.
Reviving European policy towards the Western Balkans
15 December 2021
The EU sought to stabilise the Western Balkans through enlargement, but this process has now stalled.
The cost of Brexit: October 2021
13 December 2021
In October 2021, UK goods trade was 15.7 per cent, or £12.6 billion, lower than it would have been if the UK had stayed in the EU’s single market and customs union.
Why the West should deter a Russian attack on Ukraine
30 November 2021
Russian forces are massing near Ukraine’s border again. Putin hopes to win concessions from Kyiv without fighting, but more concessions will not bring peace. The West should focus on deterring Russia.
A permanent EU recovery fund can help Poland change
29 November 2021
The EU’s climate ambitions will add tension to its relationship with Poland. Making the EU’s recovery fund permanent would provide stronger incentives for Poland to embrace the energy transition.
Britain and France should stand together
29 November 2021
UK-French relations are fractious across the board. The two countries must not lose sight of their common international security interests. As Europe’s pre-eminent military powers, they need each other.
An isolated China is a more dangerous China
29 November 2021
China is becoming a more difficult partner for Europe. Isolating it would only strengthen nationalist forces in Beijing, however. While standing up for its principles, Europe should help China’s outward-looking forces.
Bulletin issue 141 - December 2021/January 2022
29 November 2021
- An isolated China is a more dangerous China, Pascal Lamy
- A permanent EU recovery fund can help Poland change, Elisabetta Cornago, John Springford
- Britain and France should stand together, Ian Bond
The cost of Brexit: September 2021
29 November 2021
In September 2021, UK goods trade was 11.2 per cent, or £8.5 billion, lower than it would have been if the UK had stayed in the EU’s single market and customs union.
Six questions on Germany's new coalition agreement
26 November 2021
The German coalition agreement contains sensible commitments on security policy, an ambitious agenda on climate, new-found boldness on China and openness to use fiscal policy more aggressively, at home and in Europe.
Bridging the Channel: The UK's nuclear deterrent and its role in European security
18 November 2021
The UK’s nuclear deterrent is intended to defend its NATO allies as well as itself. The UK must do a better job of persuading allies that its commitment to them is real.
The three deaths of EU-UK data adequacy
15 November 2021
European and British businesses can still freely transfer personal data between the EU and UK. This situation has spared both sides disruption – but is unlikely to last.
Lukashenka is the problem, not the migrants
12 November 2021
The crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border is artificially manufactured. Europe needs to focus on the cause of the problem – Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s desire to strike back at the EU.
Why the EU's recovery fund should be permanent
11 November 2021
The recovery fund will raise growth, and member-states’ investments and reforms are largely the right ones. But to make a big difference to climate change, the fund needs to be permanent and much larger.
Europe and the transition to a post-American Middle East
05 November 2021
The US's preoccupation with China is reducing Washington's focus on the Middle East, while Russian and Chinese influence is growing. Europeans need to step up their efforts to stabilise the region.
How to solve a problem like Poland
03 November 2021
The Polish government’s defiance over the rule of law puts the EU in a bind. To protect the Union’s integrity without alienating Polish citizens, the EU needs a mix of political pressure, legal action and better communication.
Why have Europe's energy prices spiked and what can the EU do about them?
28 October 2021
Europeans’ skyrocketing energy bills are not primarily Russia’s fault, though it is capitalising on Europe’s vulnerability.
EU-UK relations: There is no steady state
26 October 2021
The current crisis over the Northern Ireland protocol will pass, but tensions between the EU and the UK are not going away.