Raoul Ruparel looks at what messages the UK might have taken away from Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's State of the European Union (SOTEU) speech this morning and which policies it will want to keep an eye on despite Brexit.
The post What does the SOTEU speech mean for the UK? appeared first on Open Europe.
Yesterday, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker seemed to strike a positive note after meeting the Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann, saying that a “Swiss-specific arrangement” on free movement of people would be possible. On the surface, this looks like good news for those in the UK who want to strike a new bargain on free movement and single market access. However, it is unlikely that the proposed Swiss deal will be the panacea that some might have hoped for.
The post Would a Swiss-EU compromise on free movement appeal to Britain? appeared first on Open Europe.
As discussion over what happens next following the UK’s vote to leave the EU intensifies, people have increasingly used the terms ‘hard Brexit’ or ‘soft Brexit’. However, these terms are rarely defined and can mean different things to different people. Open Europe’s Raoul Ruparel lays out his attempt at defining them and argues that, unless some definitions can be agreed, the terms should be dropped.
The post What does a hard Brexit or a soft Brexit actually mean? appeared first on Open Europe.
This week’s Conservative Party Conference has seen Theresa May and her ministers give their first major speeches on what ‘Brexit means Brexit’ means. Open Europe’s Stephen Booth takes a look at what we’ve learned and what we still need to know.
The post We’re getting a little clearer on what Brexit means but there’s much we still don’t or cannot know appeared first on Open Europe.
Open Europe is delighted to announce the appointment of Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise as its new Chairman and the adoption of a new mission statement.
The post Open Europe announces new leadership and new mission statement appeared first on Open Europe.
Open Europe has today published a new report, ‘How the UK’s financial services sector can continue thriving after Brexit’. The comprehensive, independent assessment unpicks the true value of the EU financial services ‘passport’ and considers what alternative arrangements the UK should pursue as part of the upcoming Brexit talks with the EU-27.
The post How to ensure UK and European financial services continue to thrive after Brexit appeared first on Open Europe.
Regulatory ‘equivalence’ with the EU is often cited as the main fall-back option for UK financial services after Brexit. Open Europe’s Vincenzo Scarpetta explains what equivalence is, what it does (or does not) cover, and how it works in practice.
The post Understanding regulatory equivalence – an effective fall-back option for UK financial services after Brexit? appeared first on Open Europe.
Returning from meetings with senior Italian government officials and MPs in Rome, Open Europe’s Vincenzo Scarpetta lays out his impressions of what stance Italy might take in the upcoming Brexit negotiations.
The post Brexit: The view from Rome appeared first on Open Europe.
Alex Greer and Pieter Cleppe take the temperature in the European press after a bruising week for EU cooperation.
The post European press reflects a sense of vulnerability after a bruising week for free trade and liberalism in the EU appeared first on Open Europe.
Whether a transitional arrangement is a possible way of bridging the gap between the UK’s formal exit from the EU and the entry into force of a new, comprehensive trade deal with the EU-27 is increasingly discussed as a potential option for the upcoming Brexit negotiations. Open Europe’s Vincenzo Scarpetta notes that WTO rules would help to ensure that any transition was not open-ended or a bridge to nowhere.
The post WTO rules mean UK-EU divorce and new trade arrangement are not fully separable appeared first on Open Europe.
Following the Government’s defeat in the High Court over its exclusive right to trigger Article 50, the EU’s exit clause, what could happen next? Stephen Booth assesses the fallout.
The post What does today’s Article 50 ruling mean for the Government’s Brexit plans? appeared first on Open Europe.
Writing in The Times today, Mats Persson, a former Director here at Open Europe and EU advisor to David Cameron, offers an excellent dissection of the lessons that can be learnt from the UK’s efforts to renegotiate the terms of EU membership before the referendum. Theresa May would do well to heed his advice on how she can maximise her chances of success in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations with the EU.
The post The lesson from Cameron’s renegotiation? Strategic thinking on Brexit must come before arguments over technical detail appeared first on Open Europe.
Open Europe’s Stephen Booth argues that the UK quickly needs to find common ground on European security policy with Atlanticist and frontline NATO states to ensure that the EU does not draw the wrong conclusions from Brexit and Donald Trump’s victory.
The post Trump and EU moves towards ‘two-speed’ defence illustrate need for positive UK offer on European security appeared first on Open Europe.
Ahead of the first round of the French centre-right primaries, Open Europe’s Aarti Shankar looks at what a win for one of the frontrunners might mean for Brexit negotiations.
The post How might the election of a centre-right French president affect Brexit negotiations? appeared first on Open Europe.
Integration of migrant populations is a complex subject, but the latest batch of data released by the EU’s statistics office Eurostat shows that the UK has a good story to tell and performs well amongst European countries on immigrant labour market integration and educational attainment. The UK must emphasise this open, inclusive image in its diplomatic efforts with the EU and the wider world in order to overcome the perception that Brexit marks an introspective turn. Alex Greer takes a closer look at the data.
The post Eurostat data on immigrant integration provides counterweight to perceptions of UK ‘nativism’ appeared first on Open Europe.
Open Europe’s Aarti Shankar looks at the newly released ONS migration figures.
The post New ONS figures put EU and non-EU immigration almost on same level appeared first on Open Europe.
German MEP David McAllister shed some light on Germany's position on Brexit in an exclusive conversation with Open Europe's representatives in Brussels, Pieter Cleppe and Niels Kirst.
The post The view from Brussels: Interview with “Merkel’s man in Brussels”, German MEP David McAllister appeared first on Open Europe.
Open Europe’s Aarti Shankar assesses the impact of François Fillon’s recent nomination as the French centre-right presidential candidate.
The post Fillon’s French presidential candidacy: what will it mean? appeared first on Open Europe.
Open Europe’s Vincenzo Scarpetta looks at the leaked City of London memo published today by the Financial Times, and argues that the most significant news is the Brexit Secretary’s frankness about Britain’s likely relationship with the EU’s single market rather than his views on any transitional deal.
The post Leaked City memo: Davis’s stance on single market more significant than on transition appeared first on Open Europe.
Amidst news of tension surrounding the European Parliament’s role in Brexit negotiations, Open Europe’s Aarti Shankar explains that it will be the European Council, where the heads of state and government sit, who drives the negotiations for the EU.
The post Brexit negotiations will be led by national governments appeared first on Open Europe.
