Press quotes

  • Spain signals ambitious EU presidency, at the risk of friction
    The Telegraph, 14 January 2010

    "The presidency is an important domestic issue for the (Spanish) government," said Hugo Brady, an analyst for the London-based Centre for European Reform. ..."I respect Spain for their audacity, they're saying the current system of the Lisbon strategy is not working and they're right," said Brady. "But the reality of politics is that certain large (EU) member-states will never accept a binding system or sanctions regarding economic policy.

  • Despair in West over situation in Ukraine
    Reuters, 12 January 2010

    "Ukraine has gone from being a darling of the EU to a complete and utter nightmare," said Tomas Valasek at the Centre for European Reform think-tank. "A few years ago most EU states were convinced it should be in the European Union within a few years. All that has changed." ...Valasek said the election could be a last chance for Ukraine to revive its EU prospects.

  • New treaty for EU, but same jostling for power
    The New York Times, 08 January 2010

    Tomas Valasek, director of foreign policy and defence at the Centre for European Reform, said: "Spain wants to hold on to as many of the trappings of the old rotating presidency as it can. No-one wants to lose cachet." ...The consequence, Mr. Valasek said, is that "it leaves Van Rompuy in a situation where the Spanish would rather that he didn't exist."

  • Carbon tariffs resurface in Copenhagen aftermath
    EurActiv.com, 08 January 2010

    Experts expect carbon border tariffs to make a comeback in the post-Copenhagen debate as carbon-intensive industries seek to protect domestic production from international competitors. "I think there is a very real risk following Copenhagen that governments, particularly within the EU, will argue more strongly for border tax adjustments," said Simon Tilford, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform (CER), a think-tank.

  • EU Commission nominees face scrutiny by parliament
    Reuters, 08 January 2010

    Among the Commission candidates who can expect intense questioning are those from Romania and Bulgaria - the two newest EU member states - with doubts about their abilities for the agriculture and international aid posts respectively. "They are the danger candidates," said Hugo Brady, a political analyst at the Centre for European Reform think-tank, explaining that the parliament was keen to exercise the extra authority it had gained with the passage of the Lisbon treaty. "Parliament will gladly take a scalp," he said.

  • Serbia EU membership bid faces range of hurdles
    Voice of America, 08 January 2010

    Tomas Valasek, with London's Centre for European Reform, says Serbia's membership bid comes at a difficult time. "The Serbian situation has not been helped by the reality and the fact that lots of EU member states have really got cold feet on further enlargement.

  • The next big thing in EU defence? Spare parts, faster
    Defence News, 07 January 2010

    But Clara O’Donnell, a researcher at the Centre for European Reform think-tank, cautions that it may take quite some time before EU members trust one another enough to ful¬fill the potential of the directive. "Some member-states, in particular the eastern European members, have less of a track record in enforcing effective export controls," O'Donnell said. ...O'Donnell said the next five or so years might bring more European competition in nonsensitive areas such as military boots, rifles and uniforms.

  • Charismatic outsider
    European Voice, 07 January 2010

    "Westerwelle does not have a lot of experience with foreign policy and his public statements on international issues so far do not add up to a coherent Weltanschauung [worldview]," says Katinka Barysch, an expert on Germany at the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think-tank.

  • Russia's new arms dealers
    Foreign Policy, 06 January 2010

    "There is already a concern among Eastern and Central European states that NATO is not taking them seriously enough," says Tomas Valasek, director of foreign policy and defence at the Centre for European Reform.

  • Kedeligt, men effektivt svensk formandskab
    Information.dk, 01 January 2010

    Det må ses som Reinfeldts største bedrift, at det lykkedes ham, at få Klaus til at sætte sin underskrift på traktaten for det spændte ben for utroligt meget, at den ikke kunne træde i kraft,« mener Clara O´Donnell, forsker ved den europæiske tænketank CER (Centre for European Reform).