Centre for European Reform

The Centre for European Reform is an award-winning, independent think-tank that seeks to achieve an open, outward-looking, influential and prosperous European Union, with close ties to its neighbours and allies. The CER’s work in pursuit of those aims is guided by the same principles that have served us well since our foundation in 1998: sober, rigorous and realistic analysis, combined with constructive proposals for reform.

The CER’s reputation as a trusted source of intelligence and timely analysis of European affairs is based on its two strongest assets: experienced and respected experts, plus an unparalleled level of contacts with senior figures in governments across Europe and in the EU’s institutions. Since the UK’s referendum on EU membership we have reinforced our networks in Europe by opening offices in Brussels in January 2017 and Berlin in October 2018. The diverse perspectives and specialisations of our researchers, half of whom are from EU-27 countries, enhance the quality and breadth of our analysis of European politics, economics and foreign policy.

The CER is pro-European but not uncritical. We regard European integration as largely beneficial but recognise that in many respects the Union under-performs, at home and beyond its borders. We look for ways to make it work better and then promote our ideas through publications, the media and various forms of direct engagement.

The CER’s audience ranges from European politicians and officials, to journalists and the wider public who want to know more about the EU and its activities. The CER believes it is in the long-term interests of the EU and the UK to have the closest economic and political relationship that the political realities will allow.

We follow closely the trials and tribulations of the eurozone and the European economies, as well as the EU’s single market and its energy and trade policies. We also study the Union’s foreign, defence and security policies – including its relations with its neighbours, and with Russia and China; its approach to refugees and migration; co-operation on law-enforcement and counter-terrorism; the functioning of the EU’s institutions; and the state of democracy in Europe. Since the British referendum, the CER has played an active part in developing viable and practicable proposals on the UK’s future links with the EU.

The CER won the Prospect prize for best Foreign Affairs think-tank in 2020 and was named ‘Think Tank of the year’ in 2018 and 2013. Previously we had won the Prospect prize for the best UK international affairs think-tank in 2017 and 2015.


Latest reports

Towards an EU ‘defence union’?

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform takes stock of the EU’s involvement in defence, its challenges and its prospects. The need for Europeans to urgently strengthen their defences is clearer than ever. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has pushed European countries to raise their defence budgets significantly, but huge challenges...

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Europe and the global economic order

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform examines the challenges Europe faces in the global economic order. Europe is faced with an increasingly challenging global economic environment. Geopolitical rivalries, China’s rise as a manufacturing powerhouse and political changes in the US have destabilised the legal order which underpins global trade. At...

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How German industry can survive the second China shock

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform urges the next German government to rethink its trade and industrial policies. As it heads to the polls, Germany is gripped with fear of deindustrialisation. A new study by the Centre for European Reform (CER), ‘How German industry can survive the second China shock’...

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Learning from CBAM’s transitional phase

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform argues that the EU should lead industrial decarbonisation by pairing CBAM with actions to support clean industrial investments in least developed and developing countries. With its new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the EU will impose the same carbon price on both domestic and...

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French lessons for Britain’s economy

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform finds that macro-economic forces have been crucial to the bigger productivity slowdown in Britain. Average wages in Britain are only slightly higher than they were in 2007. That extraordinary fact is down to extremely weak productivity growth after 2008. France, on the other hand,...

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European common debt

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform presents an analysis of EU defence bonds, their benefits and feasibility. European security is under threat and Europeans are trying to strengthen their defences. However, addressing long-standing gaps in military capabilities will require time, a sustained fiscal effort, and enhanced co-ordination. Constraints on national...

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What does the US election mean for Europe’s economy?

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform argues that the EU should deepen trade ties with the US and boost transatlantic co-operation. The EU-US economic relationship is the world’s most important. For the European economy, the US election has high stakes. The CER’s new policy brief ‘Surviving Trump 2.0: What does...

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All at sea?

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform analyses UK, German and NATO/EU interests in the Nordic-Baltic region. Britain and Germany are keen to deepen defence co-operation. The two countries should work together more closely in the Nordic-Baltic region, where they have long-standing shared interests. That is the conclusion of a new...

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Draghi’s plan to rescue the European economy

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform looks at Draghi's plan to rescue the European economy. Mario Draghi has just launched his long-awaited report on the ailing European economy. The report should serve as a wake-up call to EU leaders who have long failed to confront Europe’s declining growth rate head-on....

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Where might UK-EU relations be under a Labour government?

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform examines where UK-EU relations might be under a Labour government. The election of a Labour government, led by Sir Keir Starmer, presents an opportunity to reset and strengthen the UK’s relations with the European Union. A new essay ‘Where might UK-EU relations be under...

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Navigating the storm?

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform sets out the risks of a second Trump presidency for the UK and the EU. As Donald Trump eyes a return to the White House, UK and EU policy-makers are bracing for disruption. A second Trump presidency would lead to extensive transatlantic turbulence. Trump’s...

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Between competition and co-operation

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform looks at how to engage with China on climate. In 2019, the EU coined a new way of talking about its increasingly complex relationship with China. According to this threefold approach China is a partner, a competitor and a systemic rival. When asked about...

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Why cities must drive growth in the EU’s single market

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform argues that the EU should promote single market integration in capital markets, banking and other services. A new policy brief from the Centre for European Reform and the Bertelsmann Stiftung argues that the EU should promote single market integration in capital markets, banking and...

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Working hand in hand?

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform makes recommendations on how the UK and its European allies could better co-ordinate their support to Ukraine.. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a watershed moment in European security. So far, Britain, Germany and other European countries have worked closely to support Ukraine. But Russia...

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Better regulation in Europe

This report from UK think the Centre for European Reform sets out an action plan for the next commission. European businesses are far more likely than US firms to cite regulation as a major obstacle to doing business. As Europe searches for ways to boost economic growth and frets about its competitiveness, the EU needs...

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