Press
What does 2021 hold for jobs and businesses in Europe?
17 December 2020
Euronews
For more insight into the EU’s economic future, euronews’ Naomi Lloyd spoke to Christian Odendahl, Chief Economist of think-tank the Centre for European Reform.According to Odendahl, we really need this fund. Southern Europe’s economies depend a lot on tourism and he believes the European recovery fund can bridge the gaps between the north and the south’s finances:“The amounts that are going from the north of Europe to the south are quite sizeable”, says Odendahl, adding “for a country like Greece, for example, it is bound to receive roughly 2 percent of GDP over the next couple of years. That’s a very sizeable transfer.”
Showdown ohne Ende: Warum die Brexit-Verhandlungen eine einzige Bankrotterklärung sind
17 December 2020
Stern
Charles Grant ist Chef des überparteilichen „Centre for European Reform“, ein weiser und leiser Mann, der den Brexit voraussagte, als das Wort dafür noch gar nicht existierte, ihm aber bereits im Jahre 2004 schwante, dass seine Landsleute gehen würden. Man begegnete Grant im Laufe der Jahre immer wieder.
Brexit : les conservateurs britanniques s’accrochent au rêve de « Global Britain »
17 December 2020
La Croix
« En tant qu’ancien État membre cherchant à souligner son « indépendance », le Royaume-Uni ne pense pas que son influence dans les affaires de sécurité de l’Europe dépende d’une relation contractuelle avec l’UE, mais de son statut de membre permanent du Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU, de membre de l’Otan et de grande puissance militaire » souligne Ian Bond, directeur au Centre for European Reform (CER).
Strategic autonomy and the next four years of EU-US relations
15 December 2020
Encompass
European leaders greeted Joe Biden’s victory in the US presidential election with relief.
Boris Johnson to visit India in January in bid to transform G7
15 December 2020
The Guardian
Rory Stewart, the former foreign office minister, told a Centre for European Reform event last week that the idea of “a big boys’ club of democracies” could spell “big trouble”, since it will be seen as democracies against China.
Los desafíos internos acechan a Merkel
14 December 2020
El Pais
“Hemos perdido cinco semanas. Deberíamos haber optado por un cierre total desde mediados de octubre o antes. Merkel era perfectamente consciente, pero no se ha creado el clima necesario para que la población aceptara las medidas en una fase temprana”, interpreta Christian Odendahl, economista jefe del Centre for European Reform.
German economy hit hard as abrupt lockdown strikes fresh blow
14 December 2020
Bloomberg
The latest numbers show that imposing a painful lockdown early is better than a series of softer stop-and-go measures, said Christian Odendahl, the Berlin-based chief economist of the Centre for European Reform.“Containing the virus effectively and in a timely fashion is what’s best for the economy in the medium run,” he said.
Ireland faces a Brexit day of reckoning – deal or no deal
13 December 2020
The Telegraph
Sam Lowe, an economist at the Centre for European Reform, agrees. He says: “After the UK, Ireland is the European economy most exposed to Brexit in general, no matter what the type of Brexit.
FT Podcast Payne's Politics: Time running out for Brexit trade deal
12 December 2020
With negotiations on a Brexit trade deal between the UK and EU stalled again, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warning of a no-deal outcome, can the process be salvaged? Plus, with the Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland resolved this week in a new protocol, has the threat of a...
Politico Playbook interview: Sam Lowe
11 December 2020
Politico London Playbook
The Centre for European Reform’s senior research fellow Sam Lowe made the (relative) case for optimism about the UK and EU’s ability to reach a deal all the way back in March.
Brexit and trade: Implications for Wales
11 December 2020
House of Commons
In his evidence to our inquiry, Sam Lowe, Centre for European Reform, also emphasised the importance of a trade agreement with the EU, in particular for agriculture, as high tariffs would apply to beef, lamb and other areas if trading with the EU on WTO terms: We just have to be blunt about it.
Bloomberg - European Close: Brexit and the recovery fund
11 December 2020
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform spoke to Bloomberg about the recovery fund resolution and his fears that Europe will struggle to fill Angela Merkel's role as mediator when she stands down next year.
Britain faces a no-deal crash-out: even ultra-Brexiters said this would be a disaster
11 December 2020
The Guardian
“It’s because it’s Europe,” says trade analyst Sam Lowe of the Centre for European Reform. Ultimately, he’s concluded, this isn’t about tariffs and barriers, but something far more visceral. “They’re annoyed we’re in Europe’s vicinity.” If they could move Britain physically further away from the continent, they would. They long to be free of its taint.
Boris Johnson once mocked the eurocrats of Brussels. They haven’t forgotten
10 December 2020
The New York Times
“He left [Brussels] in 1994 and he’s not been back very much since,” said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, a research institute, who, as a correspondent for The Economist, competed against Mr Johnson.“He’s anathema to most EU politicians, who see him as personally to blame for Brexit, so he doesn’t have much of a network there,” Mr Grant added.
CER podcast: Can the EU bring its neighbouring countries further into its orbit?
10 December 2020
Katherine Pye spoke to Katarína Mathernová about the EU's relations with Eastern Partnership countries.
Impasse in Brexit trade deal talks is fixable, say experts
10 December 2020
Financial Times
Sam Lowe of the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank, said a possible solution would be an agreement where UK regulations would only have to be “equivalent”, or equal in effect to those in the EU, rather than having precisely the same text. “Focusing on the actual competitive advantage to businesses rather than the formal regulations would allow Britain to claim victory in the negotiations while also reassuring the EU about its core concern,” he added.
US trade deal: Charm offensive to win over Joe Biden begins as UK suspends tariffs
09 December 2020
Express
Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform, described the UK's decision as "broadly sensible". He said: "If it helps lead to a negotiated settlement that’s great; if not can always re-impose the tariffs in future."
Channel 4 News: Boris Johnson in direct talks with EU as deadline looms
08 December 2020
"The British still seem to think that if only they can talk to Merkel or Macron the governments can lean on that silly Mr Barnier to be more flexible, when in fact it's the governments that are pushing Mr Barnier to be less flexible in many ways,
Times Radio: Irish border
08 December 2020
Sam Lowe spoke to Jon Pienaar about why he's hopeful the tone of UK-EU talks will change now the Irish border management question seems to be settling down.
BBC Radio 4 - Today Programme: Brexit talks
07 December 2020
Sam Lowe a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform spoke to Nick Robinson about the UK's choices: either accept tariffs on day one, when there isn't a deal, or risk them being imposed in future if it breaches commitments.