Centre for European Reform

Infobox Organization
name = Centre for European Reform (CER)
image_border =
size = 209px
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formation = 1998
extinction =
type = Think-tank
location = London
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leader_title = Director
leader_name = Charles Grant
key_people = Deputy director: Katinka Barysch, Chief Economist: Simon Tilford, Director of foreign policy and defence: Tomas Valasek, Director of the Russia and China Programmes: Bobo Lo, Senior Research Fellow: Philip Whyte, Research Fellow: Hugo Brady, Research Fellow: Clara Marina O'Donnell
num_staff = 11
budget =
website = [http://www.cer.org.uk, www.cer.org.uk]

The Centre for European Reform is a London-based think-tank devoted to improving the quality of the debate on the European Union. It is a forum for people with ideas from Britain and across the continent to discuss the many political, economic and social challenges facing Europe. It seeks to work with similar bodies in other European countries, North America and elsewhere in the world. The CER is pro-European but not uncritical. It regards European integration as largely beneficial but recognises that in many respects the Union does not work well. The CER therefore aims to promote new ideas for reforming the European Union.

The centre was founded in 1996 by Charles Grant, former defence editor of "The Economist" magazine. The CER's work is funded by donations from the private sector. It has never received core funding from governments or EU institutions.

The centre's current chairman is Nick Butler, formerly of BP, the world's third largest global energy company. The CER's advisory board includes two former British ambassadors Lord Hannay and Lord Kerr as well as three past or present European Commissioners, Lord Dahrendorf, António Vitorino and Pascal Lamy. Lord Robertson, former head of NATO, is also a board member.

"The Centre for European Reform, by far the best of all EU think-tanks in London"
The Guardian

"A think-tank that manages to be both Atlanticist and Europhile"
The Economist

"A think-tank with an increasingly influential role in the shaping of official policy"
Financial Times

The CER's research topics

EU 2020 [http://www.cer.org.uk/eu2020/index_eu2020_new.html] EU budget and policies [http://www.cer.org.uk/budget_pol_new/index_budget_new.html] EU foreign policy [http://www.cer.org.uk/foreign_pol_new/index_foreign_pol_new.html] Reforming the EU's institutions [http://www.cer.org.uk/institutions_new/index_institutions_new.html] Justice & home affairs [http://www.cer.org.uk/jha_new/index_jha_new.html] The Lisbon agenda & competitiveness [http://www.cer.org.uk/lisbon_comp_new/index_lisbon_comp_new.html] The environment [http://www.cer.org.uk/environment/index_environment_new.html] Education & Research [http://www.cer.org.uk/education/index_education_new.html] The euro [http://www.cer.org.uk/euro_new/index_euro_new.html] Security & defence policy [http://www.cer.org.uk/defence_new/index_defence_new.html] Enlargement of the EU [http://www.cer.org.uk/enlargement_new/index_enlargement_new.html] The EU & Turkey [http://www.cer.org.uk/turkey_new/index_turkey_new.html] Neighbourhood policy [http://www.cer.org.uk/neighbourhood/index_neighbourhood_new.html] Transatlantic relations [http://www.cer.org.uk/transatlantic_new/index_transatlantic_new.html] The EU, Russia and energy [http://www.cer.org.uk/russia_new/index_russia_new.html] The future of EU-China relations [http://www.cer.org.uk/china_new/index_china_new.html] The Middle East [http://www.cer.org.uk/middle_east_new/index_middle_east_new.html]

Recent Publications

*"Pipelines, politics and power: The future of EU-Russia energy relations" report with contributions from Andris Piebalgs, Konstantin Kosachev, Sergey Yastrzhembsky, Cliff Gaddy, Dmitri Trenin, Roland Götz and many others, October 2008 [http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/rp_851.pdf]
*"India's role in the new world order" briefing note by Charles Grant, September 2008 [http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/bn_india_cg_26sept08.pdf]
*"What does the war in Georgia mean for EU foreign policy?" briefing note by Tomas Valasek, August 2008 [http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/briefing_georgia_15aug08_tv.pdf]
*"The CER guide to the French presidency" briefing note by Katinka Barysch, Hugo Brady, Charles Grant, Clara Marina O'Donnell, Simon Tilford, Tomas Valasek and Philip Whyte, July 2008 [http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/bn_french_presidency_4july08.pdf]
*"Willing and able? EU defence in 2020" essay by Daniel Keohane and Tomas Valasek, June 2008 [http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/e_2020_844.pdf]
*"The EU's new Russia policy starts at home" briefing note by Katinka Barysch, June 2008 [http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/russia_bn_kb_24june08.pdf]
*"Will the Irish guillotine Lisbon?" briefing note by Hugo Brady, June 2008 [http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/bn_irish_ref_hb_4june08.pdf]
*"How to make EU emissions trading a success" pamphlet by Simon Tilford, May 2008 [http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/p_769.pdf]
*"Can Europe and China shape a new world order?" pamphlet by Charles Grant, with Katinka Barysch, May 2008 [http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/p_837.pdf]
*"France, NATO and European defence" policy brief by Tomas Valasek, May 2008 [http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/policybrief_nato_12may2008.pdf]
*"The EU, Israel and Hamas" working paper by Clara Marina O'Donnell, April 2008 [http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/wp_820.pdf]
*"The Lisbon scorecard VIII: Is Europe ready for an economic storm?" pamphlet by Katinka Barysch, Simon Tilford and Philip Whyte, February 2008 [http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/p_806_lisbon08.pdf]

ee also

*List of UK think tanks

External links

* [http://www.cer.org.uk/ CER homepage]