Press quotes

  • Eurozone finance ministers launch bailout fund
    Voice of America, 08 October 2012

    "It is hard to be optimistic about a region as heavily indebted as Europe, or Western Europe, when the region's economy is [heading] into a very deep slump," said Simon Tilford, of the CER. "So any sort of optimism we see at the moment is likely to prove very short lived."

  • PM to review freedom of migrant movement
    Financial Times, 07 October 2012

    "Cameron could try to renegotiate the freedom of movement principle but this is a cul-de-sac he should be careful not to go down," said Hugo Brady of the CER. "It would use up all the UK's political capital and this would impinge on the fundamental basis of the single market, which Cameron has said he's in favour of."

  • Opting out of the EU - The guns of war
    The Economist, 05 October 2012

    Hugo Brady of the CER, believes Mr Cameron underestimates the risk to national security and influence. But Britain has recognised expertise in criminal justice; it is full of people from other EU countries; and it has an enormous DNA database, as well as the best links with America.

  • Enders seeks to overcome Berlin wall of resistance to reach BAE
    Bloomberg Business Week, 02 October 2012

    "Hopefully Merkel can see the wider European interest in this," said Charles Grant, director of the London-based CER. "I don't see why the Germans are so reticent, because they’ve always been upset about the French domination or the French leadership at EADS."

  • EU justice opt-out seen as security risk
    Financial Times, 30 September 2012

    A report by the CER, which will be published this week, suggests that Conservative attempts to repatriate powers from Brussels and then opt back into a select number may backfire if it means the UK loses sway over immigration, crime and policing issues – the fastest-growing area of EU law.

  • Catalans see pain in Spain as chance for independence
    The Times, 29 September 2012

    "The Spanish Government can do very little to address this crisis," said Simon Tilford of the CER. "It cannot pump liquidity into the markets as the UK has done. It has to attempt to meet very high levels of fiscal austerity and its economic reforms are very unpopular. The Government is most definitely not going to be in a position to satisfy the Catalans.

  • EU anti-trust review of BAE-EADS deal may face legal limit
    Bloomberg Business Week, 26 September 2012

    EU regulators, usually responsible for approving Europe-wide takeovers and enforcing the right to do business across the bloc, have been careful about any involvement in the defence industry because of the legal exemption, said Clara Marina O’Donnell, an analyst at the London-based CER.

  • Clegg tells of tough choices over Europe
    Financial Times, 25 September 2012

    Charles Grant, director of the CER, says a fourth source of potential conflict within the coalition will arise when Britain has to decide, before 2014, whether to take its one-off chance to withdraw from 130 EU crime and policing rules. "It’s certain Britain will exercise its block opt-out," he says.

  • European pensions targeted
    USA Today, 23 September 2012

    "Certainly, if you have people retiring in their 50s - and you're not looking like you're going to get the tax revenues you thought you would in the future - then it is difficult to be able to fill in some of the gaps in your public pension systems," said John Springford of the CER. "You do need to get public-sector workers to work longer."

  • Ideas for future EU hit instant headwind
    European Voice, 20 September 2012

    Charles Grant of the CER, was sceptical about the prospect of changes. He said that there was "no enthusiasm for treaty change or institutional reform" in France.