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Entre nous Mark Leonard is abandoning the Foreign Policy Centre think-tank he founded six years ago, and is off to join the ranks of the Centre for European Reform, the think-tank headed by Charles Grant which has lost Heather Grabbe to the cabinet of Olli Rehn and Steve Everts to the office of foreign policy chief Javier Solana. So where does that leave the FPC? A spokeswoman said: "It was not a shock that Mark was leaving, we were all aware that it was coming and we are confident that we have a secure future at the FPC." The FPC board has begun discussing how it will recruit a new director and will announce details in due course. Voice of America, 2 December 2004 French Socialists back EU constitution Centre for European Reform researcher Aurore Wanlin says the party referendum also has major consequences for France's Socialists. "Another question at stake is the future of the Socialist Party," said Aurore Wanlin. "In 2007, there will be a presidential election. So, basically, the internal referendum [this week] will decide the program of the Socialist Party to run for these elections and who will be the leader." EU business.com, 2 December 2004 Ukraine crisis raises thorny question of EU frontiers The European Union's engagement in Ukraine's evolving crisis raises the thorny question of where the expanding bloc's frontiers will settle, according to analysts who say Brussels must now offer Kiev a prospect of membership. "The EU's refusal to even talk about the possibility of membership looks untenable," said Kataryna Wolczuk, [who recently had a paper on the situation in Ukraine published by] the London-based Centre for European Reform. "Solana is, in a way, empty-handed" in the mediation efforts, she told AFP. "He has Europe's prestige, but he could be much more effective" if he was able to offer the prospect of membership. The Scotsman, 2 December 2004 French Socialist poll poses threat to EU constitution If the Socialists vote "No", Mr Chirac could have a tougher time winning the referendum - an outcome that could jeopardise the constitution itself since all of the 25 EU countries must adopt it. Many are leaving the decision to national parliaments, but at least nine countries - including France and Britain - are putting the constitution to nationwide referendums. "Everyone is very worried," said Aurore Wanlin, a research fellow at London's Centre for European Reform. Associated Press, 1 December 2004 Fierce debate for French Socialists on EU constitution boils down to a question: Yes or No? If Socialists vote "No," Chirac could have a tougher time winning the referendum _ an outcome that could jeopardize the constitution itself since every one of the 25 EU countries must adopt it. "Everyone is very worried," said Aurore Wanlin, a research fellow at London's Center for European Reform. "If a 'No' vote wins ... it calls into question the chances of winning a general referendum in France next year." "If France votes 'No,' it could trigger a huge crisis that could kill off the constitution for good," Wanlin said. United Press International, 1 December 2004 French Socialists hold key EU vote But if the "no" carries the day, some observers say, French Socialists may not only find themselves isolated in Europe, where many of Socialist leaders support the constitution, but they may well face an internal crisis at home. "A lot of big figures have defended the 'yes,' so a split up the Socialist Party is always possible," said Aurore Wanlin, research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think-tank. "The internal referendum today will decide the program the Socialist Party will run on in the 2007 presidential elections," Wanlin said, "and who will be the leader." The Sunday Times, 28 November 2004 Business Focus: Walking with dinosaurs Famous for his off-the-cuff remarks and a combative style of management, Charlie McCreevy, the European Union's new commissioner with responsibility for the internal market, has kept a low profile. There is one proposal waiting in his in-tray that is causing huge division across Europe, a plan to liberalise services across sectors including retail, travel agencies, advertising, employment agencies, healthcare services, doctors, lawyers and tax advisers. "It's a very difficult and controversial piece of legislation, arguably the biggest liberalisation bill since the beginning of the single market," said Alasdair Murray from the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think tank. Le Monde, 26 November 2004 Les travaillistes britanniques critiquent sans ménagement le "populisme" de M. Fabius Directeur du Centre pour une réforme européenne (CER), un think tank(centre de réflexion) proche des travaillistes, Charles Grant souligne "l'extraordinaire revirement" que représenterait l'éventuel refus de la Constitution par un parti résolument pro-européen "depuis que Delors avait persuadé Mitterrand, il y a vingt ans, de renoncer à ce qu'il avait appelé la "politique albanaise" prônée par Chevènement". Primo, cette prise de position aggraverait la menace du "non" dans un pays qui "a toujours été à l'avant-garde de la construction de l'Europe"; secundo, elle "couperait le PS des autres grands partis socialistes européens - allemand, espagnol, britannique - et le rejetterait dans le camp des eurosceptiques, aux côtés des tories ou du Front national", poursuit M. Grant. Pour cet expert, militant de l'Europe, qui a lui-même appartenu brièvement au PS au début des années 1980, et qui parle "en socialiste", ce serait "un changement historique".[...] full quoteEurActiv.com, 26 November 2004 When negotiations begin: the next phase in EU-Turkey relations This essay by Heather Grabbe, published by the Centre for European Reform, is about the challenges that lie ahead for the EU and Turkey once accession negotiations begin. It considers which aspects of the accession process and the EU's rule-book will be unpalatable to various Turkish interest groups. The essay concludes with the lessons which Turkey can learn from the experience of the Central and East European countries which joined the EU in May 2004. The New York Times, 26 November 2004 Demographic time bomb threatens pensions in Europe The dream of early retirement on a fat pension is receding with other comfortable visions of the future, like the pursuit of shorter working weeks and expanded leisure time that preoccupied many, particularly in continental Europe, in the 1990's. "They got used to having that very cushy social system, and now they are slowly coming to grips with the fact that the cushy system doesn't hold any more," said Katinka Barysch, an economist at the Centre for European Reform, a private policy research organization in London. Or, as Mr. Shergold put it, "the majority of people will just have to stay at work that much longer." International Herald Tribune, 25 November 2004 Being 'clear,' EU keeps pressure on Turkey EU specialists said a hardening of the line in some countries so shortly before the decision was rooted in domestic opposition to Turkey's membership. "It's meant for home consumption," said Katinka Barysch, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform in London. "They have to take public opinion seriously, but it's a pity that they are on the defensive, rather than making the positive case for Turkey's entry." CNS News.com, 25 November 2004 European Union Agrees on Rapid Reaction Force Daniel Keohane, a research fellow at the Center for European Reform in London, said the main focus will be for Europeans to be able to intervene in a conflict situation rapidly. "It reinforces the NATO effort and also helps ensure that the Europeans keep reforming their militaries, which is exactly what the U.S. also wants for them to do," said Keohane. Keohane said that a complaint about European forces has been that they have not budged from their old configuration since the Cold War era. "Now they are waking up to realize they need completely different kinds of soldiers," he said. "They're making a much greater effort to try to move in that direction, whether it be scrapping conscription and pushing toward more professional troops with better equipment, the right types of equipment, and ensuring they can work with the U.S. as well," added Keohane. Keohane said there is absolutely no possibility that any of these EU units could be sent to support coalition troops in Iraq, because they can only be deployed after a unanimous decision by member states and military operations are subject to a veto. "It's more a heightened level of cooperation than anything else," said Keohane. European Voice, 18-24 November 2004 EU's peacekeeping ambitions set to move up a gear by 2007 ... But Daniel Keohane from the London based Centre for European Reform pointed out that the UK currently has access to significant military transport as it had C-17 aircraft on lease from the US. "As it is, Britain and France should be able to put together a battle group in the morning," he added. But he said that political hurdles could prevent one being sent into action. This had been illustrated with the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region. The possibility of deploying an EU-led mission there had been mooted in the past few months. No European troops have been sent to Sudan, though - officially because the African Union has not requested them. But Keohane said it would be wrong to place all the blame on the latter. "The African Union is new to the security game. The lesson for the future is that the Europeans should be able to move faster." Newsweek, 22-29 November 2004 Russian Rumblings The EU's giant neighbor is growing less and less interested in joining hands. Katinka Barysch, Russia expert at London's Centre for European Reform [says]: "relations between Europe and Russia have broken down."[...] If anything, Russia needs Europe more than the other way around. "If they want to have any hope in hell of diversifying their economy, they can't do it without us." Euractiv.com, 19 November 2004 Turkey's EU bid: a 'third way' looming? In mid-November, French President Jacques Chirac openly raised the possibility of a "third option" for Turkey. "There is a third hypothesis that in three to four years, things have progressed but there are still obstacles that we will not surmount. We will therefore need to find another solution, to create a sufficiently strong link for our ambitions for peace and co-operation but without integration into the EU," said Chirac. Asked about Chirac's statement, Katinka Barysch, chief economist at the London-based Centre for European Reform , said that it was "probably directed towards a domestic audience, reassuring the French that only a stable and democratic Turkey will ever become a full member of the EU". Polls in France show that a majority of the public is opposed to Turkey's EU accession. Chirac has promised to put the question to a referendum. "Fact is: the objective of EU negotiations is membership, nothing less," Barysch explained. "But the Commission's report already made it clear that if Turkey was to slide towards Islamism or unravel democratic reforms, negotiations would be suspended. It is in this situation that the EU may have to start thinking about how to tie Turkey to Europe without offering full EU membership. Reuters, 16 November 2004 Chirac blasts Iraq war before meeting Blair The prime minister's vision of Britain acting as a bridge between Europe and the United States contradicts Chirac's desire to build a stronger European Union to counter U.S. power. "The chemistry is so bad between these men that I don't expect much in the way of surprises in substance this week," said Steven Everts of the Centre for European Reform think tank. Turkishpress.com, 16 November 2004 Europe, regretting Powell exit, apprehensive over Rice "Sure Powell will be sorely missed because he's somebody whose world view is much more in tune with other leaders in Europe and around the world," said Steven Everts, a US-Europe expert at the Centre for European Reform in London. "But on the big-ticket items such as Iraq his influence was limited. Rice is a very tough cookie. Her benefit is that she has the ear of the president. Powell never knew whether he could deliver," he told AFP. [...] But for the transatlantic expert Everts, predictions of doom and gloom now that Powell is going may be overblown. "Condi Rice is quite a realist, less ideologically motivated than some in the administration. She'll be more open to the idea that for purely realpolitik reasons, America needs allies," he said. Euractiv.com, 16 November 2004 CEPS Turkey in Europe Monitor Steven Everts from the Centre for European Reform, in the extract from the article titled ' An asset but not a model: Turkey, the EU and the wider Middle East ', looks at two sets of questions: the consequences of Turkey's accession for EU policies in the wider Middle East and the 'Turkey as a bridge' or 'model' arguments. With respect to the first issue, he concludes that Turkey has a lot to contribute to EU policies on the Middle East in terms of credibility, political access, know-how and economic leverage. Everts stresses that the prospect of Turkey's accession should be used to deepen EU engagement in the Middle East and cites Israel – Palestine, Iran and Syria as areas that provide good opportunities for early joint EU – Turkish action. He highlights that rejection by the EU would not only hinder the reform process inside the country but that it would also jeopardise the 'Europeanisation' of Turkish foreign policy that involves the adoption of EU's distinct foreign policy style of promoting security through multilateral mechanisms and institutional integration. Regarding the 'model' or 'bridge' argument, Everts' view is that Turkey cannot be a 'model' for democratising the wider Middle East as it is a unique case in three key respects: its long – standing ties with the West, its secular state structure, and the transformation of its political elite through the prospect of EU membership. According to Everts, the fact that Turkey has ambivalent relations with most of its neighbours in the region also aggravate the need to tone down the 'Turkey as a bridge' argument and avoid the 'Turkey as a model' rhetoric altogether. The Guardian, 16 November 2004 Defence talks add to French rift with Germany The French government has 31% of Thales but only 15% of Eads which could make it difficult to drive through a merger. "The French have been trying to create a European champion in defence, which for them often means a French champion," according to Daniel Keohane, a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London. "They clearly haven't given up, but whether the Germans will be eager for this is another question," he added. Café Babel, 15 November 2004 "Troisième voie" ou cheval de Troie du libéralisme ? Le centre de recherche britannique Centre for European Reform (CER) étudie depuis 2001 les mesures prises en relation avec la Stratégie de Lisbonne. Dans le domaine de la politique de l'entreprise, le CER attire l'attention sur la variété des mesures envisagées. On trouve d'une part, comme on pouvait s'y attendre, une politique de baisse des impôts. BBC, 15 November 2004 Greece admits fudging euro entry "It has been proven that Greece's budget deficit never fell below 3% since 1999," finance minister George Alogoskoufis admitted on Monday. Katinka Barysch, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, said the announcement would not be a surprise for Brussels insiders. "Quite a few member states did something similar because of the political imperative to join the euro as soon as possible. Greece has just gone a bit further," she said. France and Germany have previously defied the 3% limit. With the European Central Bank (ECB) currently telling East European member states that want to join the euro that they must strictly adhere to the 3% rule, the EU risks being accused of double standards, Ms Barysch said."These countries will say the ECB wants them to be holier than the Pope," she added. Reuters, 15 November 2004 World's Biggest Aerospace Company in Offing? Unofficial proposals to create the world's largest aerospace company again lifted shares in Thales, Europe's largest defense electronics supplier, and prompted talk of a radical new defense shake-up weeks after the surprise merger of Snecma and Sagem. [...] But commentators warned the plan, whose outline was confirmed by French government and industrial sources on Monday, risks upsetting Berlin by tilting the cross-border ownership structure of the EADS aerospace group in favor of the French. "If I were on the German side I would be a bit suspicious about this deal," said Daniel Keohane, research fellow at the Center for European Reform in London. "The French have been trying for a while to create a European champion in defense, which for them often means a French champion. They clearly haven't given up, but whether the Germans will be eager for this is another question," he said. "From a purely industrial point of view the logic of this deal is not obvious to me and the Germans would not necessarily be happy about it." The Washington Times, 15 November 2004 Embassy Row Diplomatic traffic Foreign visitors in Washington this week include: Carl Bildt, a former prime minister of Sweden, Marta Dassu, director of the Aspen Institute in Italy, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, director of strategic affairs at the French Ministry of Defense, and Charles Grant, director of London's Center for European Reform. They participate in a discussion on trans-Atlantic relations sponsored by the Daimler-Chrysler Forum. Time, 14 November 2004 Power Struggle - Can America and Europe learn to work together during the Bush Administration's second term? A first key marker on that route would be kick-starting Europe's economic growth, says Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform in London. He argues that narrowing Europe's persistent growth gap with the U.S. would provide the pride and the resources to increase Europe's influence. "You have to revive the sense of economic dynamism," he says. "Ultimately, both soft and hard power depend on it." Financial Times, 13 November 2004 UK reaps reward of accepting new EU labour Katinka Barysch, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think-tank, said the figures needed to be treated with caution. It was difficult to distinguish between those who were working in Britain before enlargement and those who had arrived after the labour market was opened to people from accession states, she said. She added that anecdotal evidence suggested many migrants came only for a short period, but noted that overall they were a benefit to the UK economy. "There is no welfare tourism," she said. International Herald Tribune, 12 November 2004 A grim report on future grabs Europe's attention The Kok study also urged governments to actively seek ways of getting more people into the work force. Here, according to Alasdair Murray of the Centre for European Reform in London, the Kok report offers two approaches - a soft approach, like encouraging more women to work, or a hard approach, forcing people to work by lifting the retirement age or cutting pensions and unemployment benefits. "Most European countries need a bit of both," Murray said. "But it has got to get an awful lot better if Europe is going to maintain adequate growth." EU Observer, 12 November 2004 Putin's Ukraine visit raises eyebrows I think it [Mr Putin's visit] shows how far Russia is willing to go to achieve a favourable outcome", said Dr Kataryna Wolczuk, author of a recently published Centre for European Reform paper on the elections. "Russia wants to ensure it has no hostile Presidents in its 'near abroad'", said Ms Wolczuck. Washington Post, 11 November 2004 World Leaders Praise Courage, Conviction The Bush administration saw Arafat as an obstacle to Middle East peace and a sponsor of terrorism. But many governments in Europe and throughout the world saw him as the legitimate leader of the Palestinian people and recall him as a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for signing the 1993 Oslo peace accords with Israel. They are sending foreign ministers to his funeral in Cairo, while the United States is sending an assistant secretary of state. "This will reinforce the widely held view in America that the French in particular and Europeans in general are soft on terrorism, greatly opposed to Israel and perhaps anti-Semitic," said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank in London. "Everyone in Europe knows the Palestinian Authority was corrupt and Arafat was difficult, but we don't forget the very constructive role he played in the Middle East peace process for many years." World Peace Herald, 11 November 2004 Analysis: Europe mourns Arafat's death Although EU leaders publicly backed the former Fatah chief, in private many of them saw him as an obstacle to peace. Says Steven Everts, a researcher at the Centre for European Reform think-tank in London: "The Palestinians have been paralyzed by Arafat's stranglehold over political life." On both sides of the Atlantic there are now hopes that a new generation of Palestinian leaders, or at least ones less toxic to Tel Aviv and Washington, will be able to breathe new life into the peace process. Monday Morning - Beirut, Lebanon, 9 November 2004 European Union: The rocky road to constitutional ratification Some say a string of 'no' votes could even cause the unravelling of the whole half-century-old EU project. "Pro-Europeans must seize the opportunities that the referenda offer. Otherwise this new era of direct democracy could even lead to an unravelling of the EU", said Daniel Keohane of the Centre for European Reform in London. ..."If France voted 'no', the other EU governments would probably have little choice but to reject the constitution outright", said Keohane, adding: "If a number of countries, including perhaps a large one, did not ratify the constitution that would... probably kill it off for good". One thing is sure: eurosceptics will be taking every opportunity to cause an upset for the constitution now that it faces its crucial phase. The Guardian, 8 November 2004 Forum filling- 'Multistakeholder' proposals for tougher EU reporting regulations have been kicked into touch Alasdair Murray, director of the business and social policy unit at the Centre for European Reform and author of a 2003 CER report on CSR, says: "It's pretty well been put into touch. If someone in the new commission gets excited about it there'll probably be a new paper and working group but it's not a phrase that's passed Barroso's lips as far as I can tell." Prospect, November 2004 British think-tank awards Prospect's fourth think-tank of the year award was another glittering affair, this time at the end of Brighton's Palace pier. report of the year went to David Willett's influential piece on pensions and demography for the Centre for European Reform. ... The judges also noted the growth in Whitehall departments and the government's tendency to poach form independent think-tanks to fill them. (And it is not just the government. The Centre for European Reform has just lost two of its stars - Heather Grabbe [to the European Commission] and Steven Everts [to the Council of the European Union]. The Observer, 7 November 2004 A disaster in the making for Europe Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, is now so concerned about the future of our relations with the rest of Europe that he has called upon the re-elected Bush to "use your influence with the Conservative Party and the Eurosceptic press to make clear that you want Britain to be actively involved in the heart of Europe". The Observer, 7 November 2004 German patient in relapse - Fifteen years after the Berlin Wall came down, the economy is still far from healthy Katinka Barysch, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, says that makes it 'one of the most aid-dependent regions in the world'. 'Quite a lot of money has been poured into east Germany but in terms of job-generation it hasn't helped at all,' says Rupert Thompson of GFC Economics. Unemployment in Germany as a whole is now well over 4 million. ... Meanwhile, there is a growing determination in Germany to get to grips with what Barysch calls the 'hangover' from reunification. 'You now, for the first time, have a public discussion saying, maybe the east Germans need to contribute a bit more,' she says. The Ifo Institute put it more dramatically earlier this year: 'The German wound must be attended to, the German injury must be healed, in order that Germany should be successful in a global context.' ... Barysch says these deals are a sign that the culture of besitzstandsdenken - the expectation of a secure, well-paid job, long holidays, short hours and a strong social safety net - is breaking down in the face of fears for the country's future. The Charlotte Observer, 7 November 2004 Europeans differ starkly from US on faith, policy "The Buttiglioni furor, and the very negative reaction he got, is clear evidence of the move toward secular politics in Europe," said Daniel Keohane, senior analyst at the Center for European Reform, a London-based think tank. "It's not that most Europeans have a problem with religion per se. It's more whether they suspect religion affects a politician's choice on policy," Keohane said. The New York Times, 4 November 2004 Leaders Jostle to Shape Agenda for a New Term In Europe, analysts focused on whether there was any hope of bridging increasingly stark differences over the role of the United Nations, NATO and institutions like the International Criminal Court. There were signs of lingering bitterness and reflections of the divisions among Europeans about Mr. Bush. Charles Grant, the director of the Center for European Reform, a nonpartisan policy institute, said in an open letter to Mr. Bush that "your best potential allies are the Europeans" and that it was time for him to make up with them. The Financial Times, 4 November 2004 European Comment: Berlin's Houdini in knots A paper by Alasdair Murray at the London-based Centre for European Reform suggests ways the European Commission can become more than a "policeman", and actively root out barriers to competition. That is not easy. Past attempts to investigate sectors, for instance, have been time-consuming - an inquiry into airport landing fees took six years. Mr Murray suggests focusing on key areas such as retail banking, with a view to highlighting anti-competitive regulations and acting against states that break internal market rules. To be more transparent, Mr Murray says the commissioner should write an open letter setting out his or her decision in a merger or antitrust case, to be published after the Commission takes a final decision. Other proposals include a stronger consumer voice, tighter rules on "restructuring aid" to companies, and steps to encourage private lawsuits. The Financial Times, 4 November 2004 Bush re-election both a comfort and a curse for Blair At the same time, Mr Bush's re-election means the poison remains between Mr Blair and many of his own backbench MPs. "The reason why many of Blair's MPs and European allies hate the prime minister is that they see him as Bush's poodle," says Charles Grant, head of the Centre for European Reform think-tank. "Blair's critics would have started to like him a lot more if John Kerry had won."... Mr Grant believes there is reason for optimism on this front. "Although ostensibly we are in for a very rocky patch, the problems of the world are so great that George Bush will have to work with the Europeans. If so, then Blair is well-placed to be the intermediary." Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 4 November 2004 US: What Does Bush's Win Mean For Foreign Policy? Steven Everts of the Center for European Reform in London said the reason is that the U.S. campaign was in many ways an American referendum on Bush's approach to foreign policy. He said Bush now feels vindicated and Europeans disappointed. "I think we are looking at an international landscape that will be dominated by a 'Bush administration 2' that will feel largely vindicated. And the Bush administration I think will not approach it with, 'OK, we have got to reach out now to the Europeans who opposed or had great reservations about many aspects of U.S. foreign policy over the past four years.' Rather, they will say that Bush has a very strong mandate now to proceed roughly on the path that he has followed in the last four years," Everts said. Everts said France and Germany - Bush's sharpest EU critics - are likely to respond by continuing to call for Washington to work with other nations and the UN in shaping a new Iraq. But he said the two EU states are likely to feel more reluctant than ever to contribute their own troops for any broader multinational security force. [...] Analyst Everts said a key test for the second Bush administration will be whether it decides to fully join Europe in seeking a grand bargain with Tehran despite wide current trans-Atlantic differences over the terms to be offered. "On Iran, it is true that both Europeans and Americans are roughly agreed on the objective, which is a non-nuclear Iran. And it is also true that there has been a sort of hardening of the European position. But the vast majority of Europeans believe that we have got to try first whether we can find some kind of grand bargain with Iran whereby they would effectively give up their nuclear option in return for very significant political and economic incentives - including American recognition of Iran and full integration [of Iran] into the global economy," Everts said. The Bush administration has given no sign over the past four years that it would change a long-standing U.S. policy of maintaining U.S. sanctions against Tehran and seeking to isolate the Islamic Republic internationally. Twincities.com, 4 November 2004 World reacts to Bush's 2nd term Charles Grant, the director of the Center for European reform, a nonpartisan think tank, said in an open letter to Bush that "your best potential allies are the Europeans" and that it was time to make up with them. He called on Bush to give up any notion of playing "new" Europe off "old" Europe to weaken Europe's power, and contended that "Europe will usually be on your side, helping you to sort out the world's problems, because most of its fundamental interests and values are similar to your own."CNSNews.com, 4 November 2004 European Media, Others Fret Over Bush Re-Election Analysts see a range of issues that Europe and the U.S. will have to tackle seriously in the next four years. Steven Everts, director of the Transatlantic Program at the Centre for European Reform in London, said the top two were Iran's nuclear arms program and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Everts said Europeans and the U.S. agreed that Iran must prove its nuclear program was not military in nature, but "Europeans feel that the Americans are a one-instrument orchestra. It's all sticks and no carrots." European governments would like to offer Iran incentives to give up their nuclear program, but the Americans argued that "if it does not comply it must pay the price through economical and political sanctions, moving on swiftly to military options," said Everts. As for the Middle East, Europeans were waiting for Bush to do what he said he would do, "when he said to [British Prime Minister] Tony Blair that he would devote as much time to peacemaking in Israel-Palestine as Blair had done in Northern Ireland," Everts said. [...] But if Bush is looking to Europe for additional military help in Iraq, "there's no way in hell" that will happen, said Everts. "Why would Europe contribute to a failed policy that they opposed from the beginning? Instead, Bush should ask for the things he could get - help with the civilian reconstruction, building up the police forces, helping to write the constitution," he said. International Herald Tribune, 4 November 2004 A global 'What now?' Charles Grant, director of the Center for European Reform, a nonpartisan research group, said in an open letter to Bush that "your best potential allies are the Europeans" and it was time to make up with them. He called on Bush to give up any notion of playing "New Europe" off of "Old Europe" to weaken Europe's power, and contended that "Europe will usually be on your side, helping you to sort out the world's problems, because most of its fundamental interests and values are similar to your own." Washington Post, 4 November 2004 With a Handful of Exceptions, Most See Results as Dispiriting "It will confirm those who feel there's a difference in basic values between the U.S. and Europe," said Charles Grant, director of the Center for European Reform here. "Although we have many common interests and values, when you get to things like religion, gun control and the death penalty, we just live on a different planet." The Times, 1 November 2004 Competition will fan Europe's dull flame The Centre for European Reform, the influential London-based think-tank said this year that even Lisbon's most enthusiastic proponents "can only describe the (European Union's) performance . . . as mediocre". Time Magazine, 1 November 2004 Barroso's Blues - Who will prevail, Barroso or the European Parliament? The dispute holds dangers for both sides. If Barroso gives in, "the Parliament will have set an important precedent," denting the President's authority, says Alasdair Murray of the London-based Centre for European Reform. But tossing out the entire Commission could backfire, too. Murray believes Parliament would have to prove that the group was so bad it should be thrown out before it's done anything. "I'm not sure they can do that," he says. "Both sides could end up playing a game of brinkmanship that doesn't serve the EU's interests." Nola.com, 1 November 2004 EU constitution referendums seek overhaul All it takes is one rejection to sink the constitution. Never before in the history of the EU has there been broader public scrutiny than what the EU constitution will undergo. "This is a seismic shift in EU politics," according to Steven Everts and Daniel Keohane, senior research fellows at London's Centre for European Reform. "The era of European integration by stealth is over. In the past, many countries have held referendums on whether to join the EU, but only a very few have held them on treaty revisions once they are in," they wrote in a recent paper.[...] whatever the outcome of the constitution debate, referendums will be the way of the future in the European Union. La Nation, 31 October 2004 Europa, pendiente como nunca Otros señalan que a estas alturas la política exterior norteamericana corre por sus propios carriles y en muchos aspectos quién esté en el poder no hace una diferencia. "Hay que tomar en cuenta que después de la Guerra Fría, y sobre todo a partir del 11 de septiembre, la relación entre Estados Unidos y Europa se vio afectada por cambios estructurales que se mantendrán sin importar quién sea presidente", señaló desde Bruselas Steven Everts, del think tank Centro para la Reforma Europea. ¿Será entonces -como alegan algunos- que la diferencia entre Bush y Kerry en términos de política exterior estará basada sobre todo en la retórica? "Puede haber algo de cierto -reconoció Everts-. Pero no hay que minimizarlo: estamos hablando de diplomacia, por lo que aún el tema del lenguaje es importantísimo." The Age, 30 October 2004 EU democracy wins out but cabinet left in limbo Alasdair Murray, of the London-based Centre for European Reform, said such a move would be "devastating". "That would play extremely badly (in Italy). He will win the backing of the other member states who will say that Parliament can't tell member states who they nominate to the commission," he said. But if Mr Berlusconi does not budge, the Parliament may continue to stare down the commission unless Mr Barroso can find a non-controversial spot for Mr Buttiglione. Mr Murray, an astute EU watcher, said the fallout could lead to political infighting and squabbling among MEPs over posts EU business, 30 October 2004 EU faces rocky road to ratify constitution "Pro-Europeans must seize the opportunities that the referenda offer. Otherwise this new era of direct democracy could even lead to an unravelling of the EU," said Daniel Keohane of the Centre for European Reform in London. [...] "If France voted 'no' the other EU governments would probably have little choice but to reject the constitution outright," said Keohane, adding: "If a number of countries, including perhaps a large one, did not ratify the constitution that would ... probably kill it off for good." The Australian, 30 October 2004 Euro constitution signed, not sealed Some will simply put it to a vote in their parliaments, but up to 19 countries will hold a referendum. Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Britain are certain to do so. It will be the biggest popular consultation in the continent that gave the world democracy, probably involving more than half the EU's citizens and more than half of its countries. Previously, few European governments have dared put new EU treaties to their people. "This is a seismic shift in EU politics. The EU is on the cusp of a direct democracy revolution," wrote Daniel Keohane of the left-leaning, pro-EU Centre for European Reform. Smh.com.au, 30 October 2004 Revolt by parliament leads EU into uncharted territory Alasdair Murray, of the London think tank the Centre for European Reform, says it was important for the parliament to be taken seriously over its opposition to Buttiglione. But MEPs should not start believing they have the final say over who can be a commissioner. "Where you get into dangerous territory is how long [this is] going to take to resolve," he said. "Is this merely a two-week hiccup that will be forgotten by the beginning of next year, or are we in a longer crisis as Barroso struggles to put together a new team, and member states start squabbling about what posts they want?"International Herald Tribune, 29 October 2004 Crisis casts shadow on future of EU's treaty The treaty would consolidate all previous European treaties into a single document and, for the first time, would incorporate into EU law a charter of fundamental rights. "This will be the first statement of EU values," said Heather Grabbe of the Center for European Reform in London. The treaty is also important because it gives the EU a formal legal personality for the first time, enabling it to sign international agreements. It also boosts the powers of the Parliament, giving it greater scope over EU laws, budgets and appointments. But the treaty has been attacked by critics who say it makes the EU no easier to understand for the European public than the glut of past treaties. It also does little to repatriate powers to national capitals, which they say was an objective when the constitution process was launched two years ago. "The EU is all about EU countries' domestic law being aligned with one another," Grabbe said. "Therefore it is very important to have a document that expresses all of that and puts it in one place." The Times, 29 October 2004 Rome closed for a day as dignitaries flood in Few European governments had previously dared put new EU treaties to their people. "This is a seismic shift in EU politics. The EU is on the cusp of a direct democracy revolution,"wrote Daniel Keohane of the left-leaning pro-EU Centre for European Reform think-tank. The New York Times, 28 October 2004 Remark on Homosexuality Delays Seating of European Panel While the move left the commission, temporarily adrift, it suggested to skeptics that there was some life in the European Parliament, often maligned as costly and moribund. ''This has strengthened the hand of Parliament, showing that they can exercise their power,'' said Alasdair Murray, a senior research fellow with the Centre for European Reform in London. Financial Times, 28 October 2004 Positive talks but no breakthrough on Iran's nuclear aims Steven Everts, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, said the chances of Iran being referred to the Security Council were high."The fundamental gap remains," he said. "The Europeans want a complete suspension of enrichment . . . Iran says that anything less than their right to enrich, as guaranteed by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, is unacceptable." Associated Press, 28 October 2004 Mission Impossible? EU launching campaign to make Europeans love the union and its new constitution The new constitution, to take effect in 2007, will create an EU president and foreign minister, and speed up decision-making by ending national vetoes in new policy areas, such as judicial and police cooperation, education and economic policy. But it is the very idea that Brussels technocrats are making important decisions without consulting ordinary people that has alienated many Europeans. "The anti-Europeans' most persuasive claim is that the EU is an elite project over which 'the people' have virtually no influence," said Steven Everts, senior research Fellow at the London-based Centre for European Reform. International Herald Tribune, 28 October 2004 EU capitals view crisis with range of concern Political analysts warned that the crisis might intensify if Barroso found himself forced to replace, not only Buttiglione, but a number of other candidates. "It could turn into a real political crisis if Barroso has to reshuffle the entire team," said Alasdair Murray, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London. The danger, he said, was that member states would once again start lobbying for more powerful portfolios and that commissioners assigned new portfolios would have to change their teams of advisers. "In that case, this would become yet another part of the European malaise we've been experiencing," Murray said. The Scotsman, 28 October 2004 Mission Impossible? EU Launching Campaign to Be Loved "The anti-Europeans' most persuasive claim is that the EU is an elite project over which 'the people' have virtually no influence," said Steven Everts, senior research Fellow at the London-based Centre for European Reform. The New York Times, 27 October 2004 Remark on Homosexuality Delays Seating of European Panel While the move left the commission, temporarily adrift, it suggested to skeptics that there was some life in the European Parliament, often maligned as costly and moribund. "This has strengthened the hand of Parliament, showing that they can exercise their power," said Alasdair Murray, a senior research fellow with the Centre for European Reform in London. The Guardian, 27 October 2004 Not team players - Europe's leaders wanted their economy to overtake the US, but it still lags behind because of a lack of political will When it comes to political will, the will to obstruct can triumph over the will to press on. The difference between political will at the national and supra-national level, is illustrated by the conclusion of Alasdair Murray from the centre for European reform. He said: "Some EU countries have already met, even exceeded, the goals they set themselves at Lisbon. Denmark, Sweden and Finland are world-class economies that out-perform the US on many indicators of innovation, entrepreneurship and employment." The Christian Science Monitor, 27 October 2004 Anti-gay remarks spark EU row Parliament members say Wednesday's vote could go either way. A veto would throw the EU into crisis. "He is caught in crossfire between the Parliament, which sees an opportunity to get more power, and government leaders who do not want to cede the principle that they name commissioners," says Steven Everts, an analyst at the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank in London. If his opponents in parliament blink, and Barroso wins the showdown, he will take office having asserted his authority in the face of both powerful national governments and parliament. "It is too early to write him off as a weakling," says Everts. The Times, 26 October 2004 Battered Prodi waves goodbye EU analysts insist that his failings go further. Charles Grant, the europhile director of the Centre for European Reform think-tank, said: "He has been the most unsuccessful president in the history of the EU. He's failed to co-ordinate the work of his commissioners as a team. As a former prime minister, he was too grand to get into the nitty-gritty of dossiers, and sailed over the surface." ... "The EU is perceived to be in a pretty ghastly state. The Commission has lost its sense of purpose," Mr Grant said. International Herald Tribune, 26 October 2004 EU ministers set deadline on immigration policy "There is nothing revolutionary or historic about this deadline," said Aurore Wanlin, research fellow and migration specialist at the Centre for European Reform in London. "But at this stage there is very little else they could have done." One major wild card for policy coordination in justice and home affairs is the ratification of Europe's new constitution, she said. At least nine of the 25 EU member states have promised their voters a referendum on the document; a single rejection would block adoption. While the constitution has been criticized by some for watering down provisions for more integration, on justice and home affairs it outlines significant changes: From scrapping national vetoes in most justice and home affairs contexts to expanding the role of the European Parliament in passing legislation in those fields and bringing Europol into the EU's legal framework, the constitution would represent a "big jump forward," according to Wanlin. "Until the constitution is ratified, a lot is up in the air," she said. South China Morning Post, 24 October 2004 Whistle blower says EU stalling on corruption controls But the EU has countered that most of her complaints have already been fixed by reforms due to come in next year. EU officials, in a series of leaks, have suggested Ms Andreasen is flaky. "The commission always argued, and I think they were probably right, that she was brought in to tackle the very problems she was complaining about," said Alasdair Murray, senior researcher at the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think-tank on European affairs. "But they handled the situation rather badly and have allowed her to be seen as a kind of martyr," he said. The Wall Street Journal, 22 October 2004 EU Commission fate remains uncertain "The way it has been handles gives rise to criticism that she [Ms.Kroes] is not going to be able to do this job properly," said Alasdair Murray, a senior research fellow with the Centre for European Reform in London.European Voice, 21 October 2004 Israel spat puts hopes of closer links at risk Friction has also emerged over the Commission's insistence that there be a clause opposing weapons of mass destruction in the plan, similar to the one included in the EU's association agreement with Syria this week. Inserting that clause has been hampered by Israel's rejection of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the secrecy surrounding its nuclear activities. The source added that intense dialogue between the two sides has seen the outstanding questions whittled down to three “touchy issues” from more than ten a fortnight ago. “It is true that this is not an easy task,” said the source. “But the momentum is there and we want to keep it.” Steven Everts from the Centre for European Reform said: "The EU should stick to its guns on Israel. There are legitimate questions about whether there is enough substance to the European Neighbourhood Policy. But if I was to target a pressure point, I would say put the emphasis on the peace process." The New York Times, 21 October 2004 Europe's new members not ready for the Euro The bigger issue, some experts said, is that the race to adopt the euro has become less urgent for most countries. They are struggling with thorny problems, like chronic unemployment, inflation and bankrupt pension systems, which a new currency will not solve. "It wouldn't be in the interest of these countries to be in the euro zone right now," said Katinka Barysch, the chief economist at the Center for European Reform in London. "It's not their main priority." The Wall Street Journal, 21 October 2004 Kroes didn't reveal to EU lobby work for Lockheed Analysts said Ms Kroes's undisclosed Lockheed work shows why the EU needs to spell out in even more detail what cold constitute potential conflicts of interest. "This seems to be an oversight" in the EU's rules, said Alasdair Murray, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London. "That kind of link is even more important than her directorships because it is less transparent." The Guardian, 21 October 2004 Joschka Fischer's new world order, sunny side up "There cannot be world order without the US. It is the only country that can project global power," he told a meeting hosted by the London School of Economics and the Centre for European Reform. "But neither the US nor Europe alone can defend against the totalitarian threat of terrorism. The west must find a way to create a strategic consensus." The Wall Street Journal, 19 October 2004 For East, path to euro poses risks - EU newcomers may lack will to overhaul economies as needed to join currency "EU accession acted as a political glue," said Katinka Barysch, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, apolitical think-tank in London. "With the overarching objective gone and the outcome not as good as expected, that glue is gone." The Weekly Standard, 18 October 2004 Axis of weakness - Europe appeases the mullahs ...Steven Everts of the London-based Centre for European Reform in the Financial Times: "It's very, very difficult to dissuade a country from going down the path of nuclear weapons if it's convinced that its strategic approach requires them." This EU - speak roughly translates as: "You varmints better high tail it outta here, unless of course you prefer not to because you'd rather stick around and mess with the townsfolk, in which case all of us are gonna be pretty darn mad." International Herald Tribune, 18 October 2004 Questions arise on democracy at the EU Part of the reason for Parliament's robust reaction may be that it sincerely found Buttiglione's views intolerable, especially coming from a commissioner whose responsibilities could include immigration, discrimination and women's rights. "Buttiglione really said some things that it is fair to say are shocking," said Aurore Wanlin, a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London. "In a way he is getting what he deserves." Newsweek, 18 October 2004 Hard Work, Hard Times - Europe's fears over outsourcing look to be overblown That competitive drive, says Katinka Barysch at the Centre for European Reform in London, is crucial for Europe's survival in the global economy: "If we didn't have enlargement, we'd have to invent it." BBC, 16 October 2004 EU official says Turkey should continue implementing reforms An international conference organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Centre for Strategic Studies, British Council Office in Turkey and London-based Centre for European Reform (CER) on "Turkey-European Union (EU) relations: Future opportunities and problems" started in Istanbul. Lagendijk replied questions of reporters after the conference. He said: "17 December is an important date for Turkey. What kind of surprises are waiting for Turkey?" Lagendijk said, "I do not think there will be any surprises. Big debates continue among political parties in Europe, including France, about this issue. I think France is the most indecisive country. I do not expect any surprise from other countries. Austria and Greek Cypriots will not be pleased but they will not veto. However, we all should focus on France. We should affect French politicians and its public opinion. I think, this is the only indefinite situation." European Voice, 14-20 October 2004 Heather grabbed to enlarge cabinet Think-tanks were once considered the new rock-and-roll so perhaps it is not surprising that Olli Rehn, who lists rock music among his special interests, should attempt to add luster to his cabinet, by recruiting Heather Grabbe of Charles Grant's outfit, the Centre for European Reform. Grabbe, currently CER's deputy director, will be the only non-Commission insider in the cabinet of the new commissioner for enlargement. Since the division of responsibilities is yet to be decided, Grabbe does not yet know what dossiers she will be covering. "I have spent the best part of the last decade working on enlargement-related issues so it will be great personal experience to be able to do work on future enlargements from the inside," said Grabbe, who never passes up the opportunity to issue a sound bite. Let's see if she can stomach the tedium of a cabinet for longer than did that other think-tanker, Kirsty Hughes, who threw in the towel early as deputy chef de cabinet to Anna Diamontopoulou. The Moscow Times, 14 October 2004 EU sues Berlin over Volkswagen law The VW law is a surviving symbol of Germany's postwar industrial success and of a type of social corporatism that fights to withstand global competitive pressures. "VW fits well into the German social model. It is a company trying to strike a balance between the global world and the peculiar German way of social capitalism," said Katinka Barysch, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform. The New Zealand Herald, 14 October 2004 Doubt in a place where Bush has already lost Steven Everts, of the Centre for European Reform in London, says the rift between Europe and the US over Iraq has not healed. "Europe wants a fresh start, and that includes Europeans who are pro-American ... who feel that there's just too much bad blood around," Everts told the Herald. "Europe and America need a chance to start again, and that's easier to do under a new administration." The Independent, 13 October 2004 A looming problem that transcends the borders of Europe In a report for the Centre for European Reform (CER), David Willetts, the Conservatives' work and pensions spokesman, points out that while investment in funded pensions is low in France, the complete picture looks different. He argues: "In the year 2000, an average French household saved 10.8 per cent of its income, according to the 2002 OECD Economic Outlook. In the UK, by contrast, the figure was 4.2 per cent. Household savings totaled 9.8 per cent in Germany and 12.3 per cent in Italy." While these savings are not counted as pension contributions, they are still there for later life. As Mr Willetts puts it: "French pensioners draw very little income from funded pension savings but do have an unusually large amount of income from other assets." International Herald Tribune, 13 October 2004 EU set to challenge German law that has protected VW jobs "This step is long overdue," said Katinka Barysch, chief economist of the Centre for European Reform in London. "Bolkestein has wanted to do this for a long time, and now he has nothing to lose." ..."The Volkswagen law probably does not have a leg to stand on," said Alasdair Murray, an internal market expert with the Centre for European Reform. CNN International, 13 October 2004 EU drags Germany to court over VW The VW law is a surviving symbol of Germany's post-war industrial success and of a type of social corporatism that fights to withstand global competitive pressures."VW sits well into the German social model. It is a company trying to strike a balance between the global world and the peculiar German way of social capitalism,'' said Katinka Barysch, chief economist at the Center for European Reform.The Observer, 10 October 2004 Germany's silicon valley But Katinka Barysch, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, says there is an economic rationale for the support being offered in Dusseldorf. 'Germany doesn't particularly have a well-developed venture capital sector, and the banks tend to be conservative,' she says. 'I think there's a case to be made, in a country where funding is scarce, not to pick winners but to set up a platform for people who have an entrepreneurial idea to try to make that work.' Financial Times, 9 October 2004 UK party looks to youth vote to add impetus This is a change from the past when the Tories oversaw some of the most pro-European initiatives, including negotiating the UK's entry to the Union in 1973 and signing up to the introduction of the single market. But as Charles Grant from the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think-tank, notes: "The party has become almost entirely eurosceptical. The big argument on the EU is now between sceptics who want to stay in the EU and those who want Britain to quit."The Guardian, 8 October 2004 Battle groups aim for speed in a crisis But the battle group concept, agreed at the EU summit in June in Brussels, has been jointly pushed by Britain and France and is also backed by Germany. "Everybody is signed up for this. That's not the problem in the EU. The problem is getting them all to deliver," said Steven Everts, a defence analyst at the Centre for European Reform. The Washington Post, 7 October 2004 Turkey a step closer to joining EU Still, analysts said Wednesday's move meant that even many of those people with reservations were prepared to proceed, albeit cautiously. "This is a big step forward," said Steven Everts, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think-tank. Reuters, 6 October 2004 NEWSMAKER-Liberal McCreevy gears up for EU free market post Parliamentarians are likely to question him on the need to free-up sensitive sectors such as the health sector and unskilled part-time workers. "The most immediate challenge is the services directive, which is extremely difficult to push through," said Alasdair Murray, who heads the business and social policy unit at the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think-thank. "It's a classic EU case where all member states say that in principle they are in favour but in practice the issue is likely to cause quite a large debate." The Guardian, 4 October 2004 Turks divided on meaning of EU membership While many European leaders give an official blessing to Turkish accession - unable, perhaps, to come up with a convincing excuse to keep it out - they have often worked behind the scenes to block Turkey's bid. "In the 1960s, the EU accepted the idea of Turkish membership in a fit of absent-mindedness,'' says Heather Grabbe, deputy director of the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think tank. Now, she says, it is being forced to absorb Turkey "grudgingly and with great misgiving.'' ..."Turkey's accession is unpopular ... because it forces Europeans to confront fundamental uncertainties about who they are, which values they share and how open their societies can and should be,'' said Grabbe. European Voice, 30 September 2004 Think-tanks divided over Turkey's bid to join the EU "It is clear that the EU's steady pressure has empowered the modernizers in Turkish politics. But the moderizers will only be able to keep the upper hand if the EU offers Turkey visible and measurable progress towards accession," wrote Heather Grabbe of the London based Centre for European Reform (CER) in an extensive paper on Turkey's EU bid this summer. Grabbe argued that without such encouragement, "the fragile consensus favouring reform in Turkey could quickly crumble." The CER analyst believes that EU membership for Ankara would benefit both Turkey and the Union's existing member-states. She says the prospect of joining the Union has already pushed the Turkish government to introduce major reforms on issues such as human rights, minority rights and civilian control of the army. This process would continue once the country had joined the Union, she insists. As far as other EU countries are concerned, Grabbe argues that Turkey's young and growing population would give a much-needed boost to western Europe's ageing workforce. She says Turkey could act as a bridge between the EU and the Islamic world, adding that the Union would be better able to deal with the problems of drug-trafficking and people-smuggling - Turkey is a major transit route for narcotics and illegal immigrants - if Ankara were inside the EU tent. Financial Times, 29 September 2004 Think-tanks get big by thinking smaller Finally, we are seeing the rise of more specialist think-tanks - such as the Centre for European Reform (last year's Prospect award winner) and the New Local Government Network (this year's winner). European Voice, 28 September 2004 EU facing battle over costs of peacekeeping in Bosnia Daniel Keohane from the London think-tank, the Centre for European Reform, said that the Union needed to evaluate how a more reliable system for financing military operations could be devised. "The 'costs lie where they fall' idea is quite risky when there is a need for guaranteed money to be there," he said. "In the same way as when we had floods in central Europe a few summers ago and we now have a Solidarity Fund [to cope with such emergencies], I think we need something similar for these kind of missions." MSNBC News, 28 September 2004 Embattled Blair pushes for third term - At party conference, British PM faces 'toughest week yet since the last one' Also speaking from conference, Steven Everts, a senior research fellow for the Centre for European Reform, said that although the Labour party is not faring as well in the polls as it previously has, the party is doing as well as can be expected as it looks toward a third term. "After seven years in power you will have annoyed a lot of people — I would have expected Labour to be far behind — but instead the opposition is still even further behind,"Everts said. ... "It is very important, especially for an international audience to recognize, that the biggest applause was heard after (Blair) said a political solution for Israel and Palestine had to be resolved,"said Everts. "It's very noticeable that from Blair, the party, and the country, that Israel-Palestine is probably the single biggest thing we can do to undermine the recruiting base of Islamic fundamentalists; Iraq isn't really central in the war on terror," Everts said. ... But Everts predicted a third term for the prime minister. "A lot of people believe in Blair — he was utterly convincing in saying there's still a big job to do, and that's why I think he'll win another term."Insight on the news, 28 September 2004 Europe's Failing Schools "European universities are in urgent need of reform," claims Richard Lambert, a member of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee, in a paper published earlier this year for the Centre for European Reform that reflects the way that the weakness of EU universities is starting to worry EU business. "The universities have a crucial role to play in helping the EU to achieve its goal of becoming the 'most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world'," Lambert went on. "But Europe's higher education institutions are underfunded, poorly organized, over-centralized and subjected to severe political constraints. And, as European governments are already discovering, making the necessary reforms will prove both economically and politically costly." Bloomberg, 27 September 2004 Europe Starts to Count Cost of Homeland Security: Matthew Lynn The EU is very good at creating new institutions,'' said Daniel Keohane, a defense analyst at the London-based Centre for European Reform, in a telephone interview. "But it is not so good at creating policies and implementing them.'' True enough. Still, Buttiglione's proposal highlights how little Europe has changed in response to the threat of terrorism. ...the EU has spent little on defense. Collectively, the region spends 180 billion euros ($221 billion) on defense, compared with the U.S.'s 330 billion euros, according to the Centre for European Reform. Reuters, 26 September 2004 BP exec Butler calls for single EU energy market In an article for the October/November edition for the Centre for European Reform, BP's Nick Butler also says the EU will need to engage much more closely with Russia, which is likely to become the region's main supplier of energy. "National barriers to trade in natural gas, for instance, remain a relic of a fragmented economy and should not be allowed to raise costs and prevent supplies reaching consumers," wrote Butler, who is group vice-president for strategy. "EU governments need to create a genuine single market for energy across the Union," he added. Butler also wrote that while it was not the role of European governments to "designate European champions", EU competition policy should be founded on an understanding that consumers' interests would be best served by companies with a global reach. The Financial Times, 22 September 2004 Iran arms drive wedge between EU and US "It's very, very difficult to dissuade a country from going down the path of nuclear weapons if it's convinced that its strategic approach requires them, but that's not a reason to give up," says Steven Everts, a foreign policy expert at the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think-tank. "Indeed one reason why the EU approach has seemed to have failed is the lack of positive US support." Wall Street Journal, 21 September 2004 EU nominee to sever Business ties "This goes further than anyone has ever done before as far as trying to clear themselves of potential conflicts of interest," said Alasdair Murray of the Centre for European Reform in London. "It seems quite draconian." But he doubted the pledge was legally enforecable beyond one year. International Herald Tribune, 21 September 2004 EU's Kroes confronts conflicts of interest "The commission is making a big effort to be more transparent, but by making it more transparent it opens itself up to questions about conflicts of interest," said Alasdair Murray of the Centre for European Reform in London. United Press International, 20 September 2004 France and Spain debut new terror teams Daniel Keohane, a security expert at the London-based Centre for European Reform, called French-Spanish announcement "very interesting," noting it marked a stark break from a history of largely procedural cooperation in fighting terrorism among EU countries. "At the moment, the terrorists have the advantage," Keohane said. "Because they can move so easily and the police cannot. This is a good way to get around that problem, and make it easier to connect the dots in gathering evidence, in gathering intelligence, when these groups move across borders." ... But there as well, efforts to crack down on terrorism have been frustrated by lack of trans-border cooperation.... A case in point, said Keohane of the Centre for European Reform, was that of a planned attack against the U.S. Embassy in Paris a few years ago. "The Dutch police had information that would have been very useful to the French, but they didn't realize it until a long time after the fact," Keohane said. "The police weren't talking to each other, so they couldn't help each other." What police cooperation does exist in Europe is often ad-hoc, and largely dependent on personal relations between individual officers, rather than any systematic policy, he said. ..."I could see this being a Europe-wide initiative in time," said Keohane, of the European centre. "But for now, I think other countries will wait and see just exactly what the French and Spanish have in mind -- see how it works in practice, and take it from there." Time, 19 September 2004 What Next For NATO? Now there are roughly twice as many European troops deployed outside the EU and NATO countries as there were 10 years ago, according to Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform in London. Most of them are doing peacekeeping work under the NATO banner. Newsweek, 18 September 2004 Britain's Big Tent- The real 'new Europe' is an arc of countries that share a very English approach to the region The new dichotomy is between "Eurorealism" and traditional postwar "sentimentalism," as Alasdair Murray of the Centre for European Reform in London puts it. This is the real "new Europe," not the one that U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stumbled upon when he sought to draw a line between European countries that supported America's war in Iraq and those that did not. CNN.com, 17 September 2004 France out of love with Europe "Things in the EU aren't going the way France wants and will continue going that way," said Katinka Barysch, chief economist at the London-based Centre for European Reform think-tank. "France realizes that in the enlarged European Union it will no longer be able to call the shots ... It's part of the growing euro-skepticism you see all across Europe." ...But Barysch said the total of taxes paid by firms in eastern Europe is not very different from those paid in France. She said Sarkozy took no account of other taxes in the new member states or of tax concessions that French and German firms benefit from. International Herald Tribune, 17 September 2004 Car parts offer peek under hood of Europe "The commissioners are independent - and they are not,” said Alasdair Murray at the Centre for European Reform in London. "There is an element of distance. They are in Brussels as a retirement gift or to get them out of the way, or they are ambitious themselves. Sometimes, though, it helps to have someone at the table reporting on what might happen in their home country." ..."Some projects get stuck in council for years,"said Murray of the Centre for European Reform, adding that plans for a common European patent have been held up by Spain and Germany. "They run into vested interests." The Wall Street Journal, 17 September 2004 Business ties could hurt competition enforcer Alasdair Murray, senior researcher at the Centre for European Reform, said that in Europe "no one is expected to sell their shares." The Christian Science Monitor, 17 September 2004 Common currency? New flag? Nope. Try golf to unify Europe In other sports, creating Team Europe simply would not generate the same dynamic. "In ice hockey, for example, the Czechs prefer to beat the Germans, and the Finns want to overcome the Swedes, rather than play against the Americans," says Daniel Keohane of the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank here. "In volleyball, again, there is more rivalry among the Europeans than between Europe and America." Even if England is playing Argentina or Germany, countries they've been at war with, Welsh and Scots fans will still support the team playing [against] England," says Mr. Keohane. As for rugby, Keohane says that during a recent World Cup he noticed that some Europeans got behind the French when they were playing Australia. "But even then there was a girl from Luxembourg who couldn't stand the idea of the French winning." A bigger question is whether this glaring lack of European sporting unity hints at deep-seated problems with European integration? After all, the history of the EU has been punctuated by the sometimes intractable problem of reconciling national, even tribal, urges with pan-European initiatives. Keohane says that, on the contrary, the sporting scene is a microcosm of what is good about Europe. "It's because we're all different that makes us European," he says. "It's not about taking away identities but allowing them to coexist peacefully. That is what Europe is about." International Herald Tribune, 16 September 2004 EU urged to revise terror responses According to Daniel Keohane, a security specialist at the London-based Centre for European Reform, the document crystallizes the differences between Europe's security strategy and that of America. "The US rates, analyzes and solves problems very much in military terms," Keohane said. "Europe prides itself in using a whole range of means, including aid, economic incentives and civilian police forces." ...Defense experts welcomed what they called a range of innovative and ambitious ideas, but many questioned whether the proposals would be implemented. "The EU is great for setting out all sorts of plans and solutions but its record of implementation is poor," Keohane said. "The problem is that they don't put their money where their mouth is." A leaders' summit meeting was held after the Madrid train bombings on March 11 and a host of measures to streamline Europe's fight against terrorism was discussed. The only concrete result has been the appointment of an EU terrorism czar, Gijs de Vries of the Netherlands, Keohane said. Euractiv.com, 15 September 2004 Stability Pact debate moves further towards debt sustainability Katinka Barysch, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, likened the rules of the pact to "rubber bands", pointing out that they had been interpreted and re-interpreted so often that "you would be hard pressed to find anyone who knows exactly what the rules of the pact are right now". Her view is that the slate should have been wiped clean and the rules rewritten from scratch. International Herald Tribune, 14 September 2004 'Old Europe' is 'good as new,' Zapatero says Just how much the now 18-month-old divisions over Iraq still matter in Europe was exemplified by the conspicuous absence of Britain during the talks Monday's talks. When Schröder and Chirac met President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who also opposed the war, in the Black Sea resort of Sochi two weeks ago, Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain was not invited. "My main question is: Why aren't the Brits there?" said Katinka Barysch at the Centre for European Reform in London. "It's quite curious that France and Germany have all this summitry going on without Britain." European Voice, 9-15 September 2004 EU explores giant leap to become global Space power Daniel Keohane, of think-tank the Centre for European Reform, said: "Europe has a lot of useful Space technology but governments are only realizing it now, particularly since the Iraq war. Surveillance can be used to detect terrorist chatter or to find terrorist camps." ...Keohane said the EU should "spend less on things like conscript troops and outdated weapons systems" to be able to increase the Space budget. International Herald Tribune, 13 September 2004 Will Turkey join the EU club? But some EU observers questioned whether Turkey would really have so much say as a member of the EU. They note that voting weights are of limited importance, given that the most sensitive decisions in the Union still require unanimous approval. "We don't vote that much in the EU - the EU is a consensus-driven organization," said Steven Everts of the Centre for European Reform in London. Everts also pointed out that even if the demographic projections make Turkey the most populous country in the region, it would not be able to block any decisions alone; it would need the populations of at least two other big countries to meet the required 35-per cent mark. Agence France Presse, 7 September 2004 France's EU grief Heather Grabbe, deputy director of the London-based Centre for European Reform noted that, during an EU summit in Nice in 2000, Chirac lobbied for the incoming members to have less voting weight than the current 15 states. "French officials with their haughty attitude towards the new member states have created a great deal of mistrust," she said. "These things have not been forgotten." ...Grabbe said that, in any case, the idea of Europe's bigger countries making decisions from a high table "just smacks too much of the past," when central and eastern Europe was carved up according to the wishes of the powers at the time. The close Franco-German co-operation in many EU areas has so far been seen as a mechanism for the two countries to protect their interests, especially when it was used to break the rules underpinning the euro with impunity, she said. International Herald Tribune, 3 September 2004 Europe, easing budget rules, bows to the inevitable "The original pact is pretty much dead," said Katinka Barysch, chief economist of the Centre for European Reform in London. "We still have the skeleton but it will be a very different animal, a much looser system. It will be about peer pressure rather than sanction." The Prague Post, 2 September 2004 Anti-corruption proposal raises privacy concerns Bublan's proposal is stricter than existing laws in many European Union countries, said Katinka Barysch, chief economist for the Centre for European Reform, an independent think-tank in London. However, the conduct of politicians in other EU states is regulated by stricter norms of behavior, Barysch added. "If journalists in such countries find that the prime minister's wife has, for example, taken a loan from a company that has just received a government grant, the prime minister would be in trouble, even though it may not be illegal," Barysch said. "That kind of culture change is emerging very slowly in the Czech Republic." Business Week, 2 September 2004 If You're Not With Us... "It's not an economy that's on its knees," notes Steven Everts, a researcher at the Centre for European Reform in London. The Europeans might support targeted sanctions on the oil and gas industry and tourism. But Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage told BusinessWeek on Sept. 1 that the U.N. Security Council has little enthusiasm for sanctions. He wonders whether anything can stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power. "The dream of being a player on a large stage is in the breast of most Iranians," he says. The New York Times, 28-29 August 2004 Can galloping Britain catch gloomy Germany? Katinka Barysch, a German economist based in Britain, noted that surveys suggest that two-thirds of Germans worry about losing their jobs. "When you're worried," she added, "you don't spend. When you feel good, you do." ..."The British picture has its shadows," said Barysch. "The most un-equal economy in the European Union, with spreading poverty and social exclusion. Poor public transport that often leaves people unable to get to work on time. But this is a place now boasting full employment in the south-east ans a country flexible enough to allow people to get ahead, Euro-zone job protection needs reform". International Herald Tribune, 28 August 2004 Unlikely alliance built on opposition to Iraq war raises questions While Germany may seek support for its effort to become a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia has said it wants to push for reform of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. It could also delay its plans to join the World Trade Organization. But according to experts like Katinka Barysch of the London-based Centre for European Reform, none of those issues warrant a three-way summit. "There is no real glue holding the three together – past opposition to a war that has long been over just isn't enough," she said. "France is trying to stick close to Germany's side because it knows it is losing influence in Brussels," Barysch said. Some say the talks in Sochi represent something that cannot last and that the real power-triangle in Europe is to be found elsewhere. The Prague Post, 19 August 2004 Government jobs plan under fire - Economists criticize Cabinet's push to bolster employment Katinka Barysch, chief economist for the Centre for European Reform, a London-based independent think-tank, agreed that education was a vital part of any drive to create jobs. She said the Czech Republic is relatively advanced compared to some of its neighbors in terms of its high-tech industries, and needs to make sure people get university education, retraining and on-the-job training. According to Barysch, another target for the government should be attracting investment to areas with high numbers of people out of work. This could be done by improving the infrastructure - such as roads and telephone networks - needed by firms. Financial Times Deutschland, 19 August 2004 Barroso feilt an Europas Regierung "Der Mangel an Zusammenhalt war eines der Probleme der Kommission von (Amtsvorgänger Romano) Prodi2, sagt Alasdair Murray vom Centre for European Reform in London. "Die einzelnen Kommissaore hatten zu viel Unabhängigkeit." Le courrier du Vietnam, 19 August 2004 Europe: Le futur président de la Commission veut changer l'image de Bruxelles "Barrosso affirme ainsi qu'il veut diriger une maison honnête. C'est une réorganisation interne qui a du sens parce qu'elle place tous les éléments sous une seule autorité et que Kallas pourra poursuivre le processus de réforme engagé par (le vice-président sortant Neil) Kinnock" estime Alasdair Murray, du Centre for European Reform. Le Monde, 18 August 2004 Pourquoi l'influence française s'est affaiblie à Bruxelles Au-delà de la personnalité de M. Barrot - que sa longue carrière en France n'a pas préparé, fait-on observer, à un poste européen - au-delà même de ses responsabilités de commussaire, la vérité, selon Steven Everts, chercheur au Centre for European Reform de Londres, est que la France, comme l'Allemagne, a "perdu du terrain" en Europe et qu'au lieu de réagir à cette situation "d'une manière très défensive, voire destructrice", en tentant de bloquer ou de contourner les institutions... Pour M.Everts, Jacques Chirac et Gerhard Schröder ne se soucient pas vraiment de l'Europe. La question est désormais de savoir si, face au "déclin" de leurs pays, ils sauront faire preuve d'espirit d'ouverture ou bien persévéreront dans leur posture passée. Defense News.com, 17 August 2004 US pullout puts pressure on Europe's defense plans While no crisis is imminent, Europe is quite aware that it would struggle to cope with another conflict like those that wracked the Balkans for much of the 1990s. "If there were any future Kosovos in and around Europe, the Europeans would have to look after themselves," said Daniel Keohane of the Center for European Reform. "Certainly the Europeans will have to think in more autonomous terms about looking after their own security." EU Business.com, 17 August 2004 US pullout puts pressure on Europe's defence plans "If there were any future Kosovos in and around Europe, the Europeans would have to look after themselves," said Daniel Keohane of the Centre for European Reform. "Certainly the Europeans will have to think in more autonomous terms about looking after their own security." EU Business.com, 14 August 2004 EU's new commission chief nails free-market colours to the mast "One of the criticisms of Prodi is that he didn't show much leadership on the Lisbon goals," said Alasdair Murray of the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank in London. "Barroso appears to be saying 'I want to sink or swim on this'," he said. Aljazeera, 14 August 2004 Special article: the West and Irans nukes program "The Iranians feel they're on a roll," says Steven Everts, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London. This confidence, adds Everts, could prove misplaced. If Washington shows that kind of flexibility, "it increases the chances of Europe supporting a more robust course of measures later," says Everts. The Guardian, 13 August 2004 New EU security chief offers bold plan "Increasing cooperation among intelligence services is a very desirable objective, but it's also a very difficult one,'' said Steven Everts, a senior research fellow at the Center for European Reform in London. "Intelligence services like to share things - but on a bilateral or even trilateral basis or on an ad hoc basis.'' The idea of an EU border force has been around for years, but experts said some countries are unlikely to want to share the costs of an EU-wide force. "I think we are more likely to see as a first step minimum standards and common procedures for national border guards,'' Everts said. CBS news, 13 August 2004 EU Official Wants Anti-Terror Unit "Increasing cooperation among intelligence services is a very desirable objective. But it's also a very difficult one," said Steven Everts, a senior research fellow at the Center for European Reform in London. "Intelligence services like to share things — but on a bilateral or even trilateral basis or on an ad hoc basis." Experts noted that some countries might not be prepared to share the costs of a Europe-wide force, and they predicted that in coming years national forces would remain in charge. "I think we are more likely to see as a first step minimum standards and common procedures for national border guards," Everts said. The Scotsman, 13 August 2004 Mandelson appointed to lead EU trade "The new commission will have a definite bias towards people who are in favour of reforming the European economy," said Alasdair Murray, an analyst at the Centre for European reform, a London think-tank with close ties to Downing Street. The Guardian, 13 August 2004 How Barroso secured the reformist team he wanted Alasdair Murray, of the Centre for European Reform, described the appointments as a major setback for Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schröder, who had alienated their European counterparts with heavy-handed tactics. Mr Chirac pushed hard for Guy Verhofstadt, the Belgian prime minister, to be made commission president, while Mr Schröder tried to win a "super-commissioner" post encompassing the four economic portfolios. "I think France and Germany boxed Barroso in a way that he could never have given them what they wanted," Mr Murray said. "He would have been perceived as being weak from day one. The Germans, in particular, massively over-played their hand. Verheugen is a second-term commissioner from a major member state. He was always going to get a big post." He added: "They tried to double-guess Barroso and haven't got anything like what they wanted." Business Week, 12 August 2004 Why Iran is giving the West the willies "The Iranians feel they're on a roll," says Steven Everts, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London. That confidence, adds Everts, could prove misplaced. He thinks the West will be forced to respond with stiff sanctions if Iran builds a bomb. Is there a way out, now that both the Europeans' diplomatic approach and the Americans' hard-nosed tack have failed? One option, analysts say, is for them to switch roles, with Europe playing the bad cop by advocating sanctions and the U.S. holding out the carrot of diplomatic relations in exchange for ending the nuke program. If Washington shows that kind of flexibility, "it increases the chances of Europe supporting a more robust course of measures later," says Everts. That's the hope. But success is hardly assured. Reuters, 12 August 2004 EU "wreckers" target election The Conservatives fear UKIP may steal some of their votes from those who would like to see party leader Michael Howard taking a tougher, anti-EU line. "But they are a threat to all the parties," added Heather Grabbe, of the Centre for European Reform, saying they may also take votes from eurosceptic members of Blair's Labour Party. UKIP must decide soon whether it will prioritise activism in Brussels or Britain, she added. "In terms of money they're not doing badly. But they've got pretty limited resources in terms of people. Are they going to deploy them in Brussels or in Wakefield and Hartlepool?" Newsweek, 9 August 2004 Europe After Monti - The race is on to replace the controversial competition czar, and its outcome is critical to the EU's future Monti's successor will help determine whether Europe ever becomes a truly single market of 450 million people dynamic enough to compete with the United States. Competition policy is "where the commission has real power to push forward the economic agenda," says Alasdair Murray, analyst at London's Centre for European Reform. "It's hugely crucial who gets the post." Barroso knows that in order to keep Britain and other less enthusiastic members engaged in the EU, it's crucial that the new commission not be seen as what Murray calls "a statist throwback doing the bidding of Paris and Berlin." In deflecting pressures so far, Barroso has already shown himself to be feisty and independent. The future competitiveness of the EU will depend on whether his new competition commissioner will be, too. The Times, 4 August 2004 Barroso has to pick the aces from his deck of 25 Although it has attracted some criticism in the European media for being lightweight in comparison to the last one, the new Commission actually contains some senior politicians."There is a perception they are inexperienced, but there are a lot of big names. Nearly all the people come with ministerial experience, which is what you need," Alasdair Murray, of the London-based Centre for European Reform, said. "Being a commissioner is like running a government department, but more technocratic," he added. Dr Barroso has said that he wants eight of the twenty-five commissioners to be women. He reached his target last night when the Netherlands nominated a female. Most analysts, however, are saying that it is time for the EU to retrench and win back the support of the European public. Mr Murray said: "You have got to do a little bit less to do more. Stop asking for new powers until you can use the ones you already have properly.”" International Herald Tribune, 4 August 2004 In Europe, latest alert sets off no alarms Daniel Keohane, a defense expert at the Centre for European Reform in London, said Europe could do with a bit more U.S.-style preparation: "When you're looking at contingency planning, Europeans are behind the U.S.," he said. "But they are also more reticent to jump to conclusions about threats." EU observer.com, 4 August 2004 Member states send heavy hitters to Brussels Steven Everts, senior researcher at London-based Centre for European Reform, believes this is a "very positive" step for the commission. He argues that one of the main problems with the current commission is its "weak links with capitals". Having people who are close to the administration at home, he says, will mean that the Commission is not so out of step with its member states. But leadership is the key. "The most important thing is to have stronger leadership at the heart of the commission", says Mr Everts. The current commission has an "unprecedented" number of big hitters - such as competition commissioner Mario Monti and external relations commissioner Chris Patten - but they were all "very poorly led". From the very beginning the new president, José Manuel Durão Barroso, will have to "learn to say no" - both to overbearing member states as well as to taking on too many new projects for the commission. "Trade and competition are by their nature pre-eminent", says Mr Everts. However, he believes that the most important issue is not to have the super commissioner with an economic portfolio which Germany had been pushing for. "What people objected to was that this would have created a line of accountability other than the president", said Mr Everts. EU business.com, 31 July 2004 EU chief faces holiday haggle over new Brussels team The former Portuguese prime minister, who will take office on November 1, must play off competing demands from the European Union's 25 member states in what promises to be an EU horse-trading session par excellence. "He's certainly going to have his work cut out," said Alasdair Murray of the Centre for European Reform in London. "There's going to be a lot of horsetrading," said Murray, adding that Barroso - who has vowed a "strong, independent" Commission which can face up to EU capitals - can't simply leave smaller and new states with the dregs. "They're going to have to be given something, especially the new member states," he said. "The commission's position in relation to (EU governments) and theparliament has been weakened over the last decade. There have been two indifferent to poor commission presidents," said Murray. Sydney Morning Herald, 30 July 2004 Brick wall is all many Poles find in London Alasdair Murray, from London's Centre for European Reform, said while it was unfortunate that many Poles were finding Britain tough, their experiences showed that expansion had not been the bogeyman many Britons feared. "There will be some people who feel that EU has let them down, that the whole point of joining was to help them find work in other countries, but again the figures of people who actually want to do it is relatively small," he said. The Financial Times, 30 July 2004 Europe trio seeks guarantee on Iran nuclear policy Diplomats played down expectations of any breakthrough after yesterday's discussions at the French Foreign Ministry. "The important question now is whether Iran is prepared to accept that it cannot have control over the fuel cycle, as the EU3, like the US, now demand," said Steven Everts, senior research fellow at the London-based Centre for European Reform. "The EU3 idea is that the west and Russia would guarantee supply of nuclear fuel in return for Iran renouncing control of the full fuel cycle. This would rule out the possibility that Iran could later announce its intention to withdraw from the NPT and have a bomb." ... "The US is looking at co-ercive options, beginning with sanctions," said Mr Everts. "But Washington understands there is no chance of European support for punitive actions later if it does not let the EU3 try diplomatic means first." The Prague Post, 29 July 2004 Spidla going to Brussels I spoke with Heather Grabbe, an EU enlargement expert at the London-based Center for European Reform, back when the government was first trying to find someone qualified to take the job. She was clear that for a small country such as the Czech Republic it was vital to nominate someone well known outside the country, perhaps, she said, a former prime minister. "The quality of the candidate matters a lot in determining what portfolio a country gets," Grabbe said. International Herald Tribune, 27 July 2004 In Europe, passionate cheering for Kerry Most European historians and political pundits agree that it has been a long time, at least a generation, since the world has felt so consumed with passion about an American election, and since so many have been so hopeful of regime change in Washington. This year, they say, there is one place where the choice between John Kerry and George W. Bush will indeed have a profound impact, and interestingly it is not the Middle East. It is Europe. Steven Everts, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think tank, said, "This is a foreign policy election for the U.S. and a critical election for the world." "If Bush is defeated, Europe will say this was a difficult period, but an aberration,"Everts said. "Four more years of Bush, however, will have a long-term impact on European policy, and the development of a permanent rift between the U.S. and Europe.'' One crucial foreign policy difference between Kerry and Bush, he added, is that Kerry would disconnect the war in Iraq from the wider war on terror — a linkage the Bush administration has repeatedly asserted exists but that Europe has never bought. "If we can disconnect that, it would unlock potential for cooperation in the future between America and Europe,"Everts said. Financial Times, 25 July 2004 Domestic politics dictate Barroso's Brussels team Heather Grabbe, of the Centre for European Reform, says Mr Barroso could find the quality he needs from among the new member states. "There are some very good people from central and eastern Europe, because a Commission job is a very prestigious post for them," she said. Danuta Hübner of Poland is among those expected to get a good job. The Guardian, 23 July 2004 The devil you know- He may not be popular, but Peter Mandelson has the potential to be a much better EU commissioner than his critics think Charles Grant, the director of the Centre for European Reform, thinks that Mr Mandelson's background makes him ideal commissioner material. "In order to be an effective commissioner it helps to have an extensive range of contacts all over Europe, and he has those contacts already," he says. He also believes that his standing as a political heavyweight, combined with Britain's clout in the EU, will guarantee him a top job in the commission. Reuters, 23 July 2004 "Prince of Darkness" gets top EU post Sending a heavyweight to Brussels should help Blair's standing there - undermined by the country's euro outsider status and long entanglement in Iraq. "If you send a big figure you get a bigger and better job, which promotes Britain's interests. It is also seen as a token of how seriously you take the European Union," said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform in London. ITV.com, 23 July 2004 Mandelson 'to become Europe commissioner' Peter Mandelson is expected to become Britain's new European Commissioner, it has been reported. Long a supporter of UK membership of the euro, Mr Mandelson's appointment will please Europe but may bring a domestic backlash due to his controversial career, analysts said. "Whatever you think of Peter Mandelson, he is a heavyweight politician and that will go down well in Europe," said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform in London. EU Observer.com, 20 July 2004 Mixed report on euro after first five years Katinka Barysch, economics expert at the Centre for European Reform, believes that the euro has had an impressive first five years. "If you think back to when the euro was introduced, we had predictions of absolute disaster", she recalled. "But what happened? Absolutely nothing". "The introduction of the euro was about as smooth as the introduction of a currency could possibly be", she said, adding that the European Central Bank now has an excellent reputation. And she thinks that the slow growth in the euro zone is less to do with the euro and more to do with the effects of German reunification, which has slowed growth in Europe's largest economy. "Slow growth in the euro zone is not really a euro issue", said Ms Barysch. The Prague Post, 15 July 2004 Bribery rumours plague CSSD But Katinka Barysch, chief economist for the London-based Centre for European Reform, called Gross' offer to Benes "unusually crass." She said that when forming a coalition government, it is not normal to offer posts to the opposition. "You cannot form a government by buying people. Then you end up running the country in a very unstable position. I think he must be a bad politician," Barysch said. Bloomberg news, 14 July 2004 France's Chirac Pledges Referendum on EU Constitution In the UK, which has no national constitution, Blair faces opposition from a majority of voters and some members of his Labour Party. "The chances of one country rejecting the referendum are quite high,'' said Katinka Barysch, chief economist at the London- based Centre for European Reform, a research institute. Tapei Times, 14 July 2004 European Union needs action, not abstract policies Charles Grant, the head of the UK's Centre for European Reform, has speculated on what would happen "if Britain votes No." If it was just the UK, he argues, there would indeed be pressure for the country to vote again (as Denmark did in 1992 and Ireland in 2001), or to remove the country from the union to some sort of associate status. If several others, and not just "small countries," also vote No, there will be a tendency (according to Grant), especially in France and Germany, "to move ahead with a core Europe." But what, one must ask, would this "core Europe" do? In particular, how would the governments of any "core Europe" deal with the fact that, as the European elections in early June have shown, their own peoples are far from enthusiastic about the union? Bloomberg news, 13 July 2004 EU governemnts brokes bidget law, highest court says "It's on the commission's interest that there is political ownership of the stabiliy pact," said Katinka Barysch, chief economist at the London -based think-tank the Centre for European Reform. The Guardian, 13 July 2004 EU ministers 'should have punished France and Germany over deficits' While excessive deficit procedures may now be restarted against Germany and France the prospect of fines appears remote. "I can't see fines being imposed, as half of the eurozone is in breach of the stability and growth pact," said Katinka Barysch, chief economist with the Centre for European Reform. "But it does confirm the commission as th |