Press quotes

  • The New York Times, 25 February 2013

    "No doubt Italy has an imperfect political culture, but this election I think is the logical consequence of pursuing policies that have dramatically worsened the economic and social picture in Italy," said Simon Tilford of the CER.

  • Reuters, 18 February 2013

    So even if the goodwill exists to park such issues in the sidings [the EU's reluctance to lower its guard against US biotech food such as genetically modified plants or hormone-fed beef], agriculture still has the potential to poison the talks, said Philip Whyte of the CER, a think-tank in London.

  • Financial Times, 15 February 2013

    "Supply side reforms are no panacea," said Simon Tilford, chief economist for the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank. Germany, where unemployment is low, should be adopting expansionary macroeconomic policies to boost demand, he said.

  • Le Temps, 13 February 2013

    "C’est bien là la cause de toutes les difficultés qu’auront ensuite la Grande-Bretagne et l’Europe à accorder leurs violons", estime Simon Tilford, chef économiste du CER, basé à Londres.

  • The New York Times, 13 February 2013

    "The impact on growth from changes in the minimum wage comes down to the level at which it is set," said Simon Tilford, chief economist at the CER in London

  • Marketplace, 13 February 2013

    Simon Tilford of the CER claims the two sides will struggle to open their markets fully to each other’s farm produce. "When they get down to the nitty-gritty, it’s possible that the negotiations will founder on some of the cultural differences between the EU and the US over things such as genetically modified food," says Tilford.

  • Global Finance, 12 February 2013

    "A referendum looks almost inevitable now but the timeframe is uncertain," says Katinka Barysch, deputy director of the CER in London. She says the debate is already having a negative economic impact: Investors are getting nervous.

  • Voice of America, 11 February 2013

    “Politics is one of the black swans of the eurozone this year. In Italy we could have political uncertainty, perhaps the return of Silvio Berlusconi. In Spain, we don’t know where the current scandal surrounding the prime minister will go", said Philip Whyte, of the CER

  • Bloomberg, 11 February 2013

    "As a French consumer looking for a car, you’re confronted with paying dramatically higher rates of interest to buy a Peugeot on credit than you are a Volkswagen," said Simon Tilford, of the CER.

  • New Europe, 10 February 2013

    In a 2011 piece published by the CER, Dieter Helm exulted over how shale gas “turns out to be super-abundant” and predicted that switching from coal to gas could halve Europe’s carbon dioxide emissions.