92 research outputs found
Chronicles of a disagreement foretold. CEPS Commentary, 28 November 2012
In the wake of the collapsed talks on a new EU budget for 2014-20, a new CEPS Commentary by Jorge NĂșñez Ferrer allows that there is a good chance that agreement will be reached before the summer but that the instrument will remain largely disconnected from the fundamental needs of the EU, foremost of which is the imperative to address imbalances in the eurozone
Leveraging funding for energy efficiency in buildings in South East Europe. CEPS Policy Insights No 2019-05/28 March 2019
This paper addresses the possibility of creating financial instruments so that large scale energy efficiency renovation programmes can be substantially financed by the private sector. Aimed at decision-makers and those wishing to understand the issue, it avoids excessive technicalities. The paper presents some selected examples of financial instruments for energy efficiency that could represent possible blue prints for South East Europe. It concludes by proposing to develop variations of one of the simplest models to avoid ambitious, complex but ineffective instruments. A clear warning is given on the need for a careful ex-ante assessment of the legal framework, other barriers and the capacity of building associations to request loans on behalf of the owners. It also insists that business strategy development requires special attention
What Cameron should have known: Q &A. CEPS Commentary, 4 November 2014
The surprise revelation that the UK would be paying a surcharge to the EU budget of âŹ2.1 billion sent Prime Minister Cameron into a rampage. How could this misunderstanding have arisen, as the resources mechanism of the EU budget uses a rather rigid method of calculation agreed by all member states? In this Commentary, CEPS budget specialist Jorge NĂșñez Ferrer has adopted a Q&A format to provide a straightforward technical explanation of how the surcharge came about in an attempt to dispel the Machiavellian phantasies it has inspired in journalists and eurosceptics alike
The Multiannual Financial Framework post-2020: Balancing political ambition and realism. CEPS Policy Paper No. 2016/2, 18 November 2016
The EU budget is suffering not simply from a technical crisis, but rather from a deep crisis of trust on the part of EU citizens. Public support for the mainstream political class in general and the EU institutions in particular is rapidly waning. Restoring this trust is the single-most important task in countering rising populism and the forces intent on dismantling the European Union. This paper argues that the EU budget offers one of the most visible tools available to express the principles of the European Union in concrete action; its improvement is therefore essential for building trust. It aims to offer food for thought to promote reflection on the future of the budget, in view of the challenges facing the EU
Reading between the lines of Council agreement on the MFF and Next Generation EU. CEPS Policy Insights 31 Jul 2020.
The recent agreement on the EU budget is an unprecedented and historic achievement for the European Union. It has broken a taboo and advanced the integration process. We all saw that the negotiations were arduous, but given the magnitude of the challenge facing the heads of state and government, it would have been naĂŻve to expect otherwise. It is virtually impossible to find a comparable agreement between numerous countries in any other part of the world; by this measure alone it is impressive.
Having said that, what has been agreed is complex and bewildering to many. While attention has focused on the Next Generation EU, the agreement also includes the ânormalâ multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2021-27. Comments to the effect that the EU has deleted all funding for health, or much of the research budget, are based on the Next Generation EU âtemporaryâ measure and not on the underlying MFF.
This paper aims to present a brief rundown of the actual changes in numbers and reflect on the meaning of the agreement
Suspended in legal limbo: Protecting investment in renewable energy in the EU. CEPS Policy Insights No 2018/03, January 2018
This paper focuses on the damage â and the potential for inflicting further damage â to investor
confidence arising from legal uncertainties surrounding renewable energy support in some EU
member states. A higher-than-expected expansion of the renewables sector, resulting in higher
costs of the support, combined with the financial crisis, has driven some member states to
radically curtail renewable energy support schemes. Loss-making investors unsuccessfully
challenged these EU governments in national courts, arguing that their rights had been violated
and denounced reforms that they considered to be retroactively punitive in nature. A number
of EU-based international investors turned to international arbitration courts under the
provisions of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), which protects cross-border investment in the
energy sector. This move, however, has called into question the legal framework of the single
market and EU state aid rules. A dispute on the jurisdiction of the ECT within the single market
has ensued, which highlights a complex and unresolved situation. While the legal disputes
accumulate, the concern is that investors may shy away from the EU as a result of the
regulatory and legal uncertainties. The main aim of the paper is to provide some clarity for nonspecialists
on a complex situation, and to highlight the need to find workable solutions that de
facto restore investor confidence
âAn appalling way to behaveâ. CEPS Commentary, 4 November 2014
Aside from David Cameronâs childish behaviour in protesting the additional payment of âŹ2 billion due to the EU budget by December 1st, there is no point in discussing further whether the UK should contribute more to the EU budget. As underlined in this Commentary, the basic point is simple: clear rules on the contributions of member states were agreed, by common consent, whose implementation essentially involved putting numbers into a spreadsheet. This was done expressly in order to remove the political element out of a potentially contentious process. The authors accuse those countries that are now contesting the numbers as acting in bad faith. The EU cannot work if commonly agreed rules are thrown overboard whenever they do not suit a large member state
Cheers to a new solar system â and EU investment strategy. CEPS Commentary, 7 March 2017
It is the archetypal tragedy of the âUnionâ: if something doesn't work, the EU is to blame, if something does work, nobody knows about it. No credit goes to the Union.
Nobody notices the million great things that the EU budget concretely supports, unless... unless a new planet is discovered. Well, seven planets, to be precise. No, in fact, nobody noticed this either â not even this.
But it is now high time to give credit to the EUâs innovation policy and its financial arm, as well as to Belgium and its researchers, who are responsible for the discovery of the new solar system, TRAPPIST-1. Of course, reports that "Nasa discovers new solar system TRAPPIST-1 - where life may have evolved" did appear in the news, since it was NASA that made the announcement and also co-funded the project
The Impact of Brexit on the EU Budget: A non-catastrophic event. CEPS Policy Brief No. 347, September 2016
Given that the UK is one of the largest economies in the Europe Union â with per capita
income above the EU average and therefore a net contributor â there have been concerns that
the countryâs decision to leave the EU could strongly impact the EU budget. On closer
scrutiny, however, we find that the impact will be rather small due to the effects of the UK
rebate and to the potential contribution the UK would be obliged to make as a condition to
obtain access to the internal market. If the UK remains outside the internal market, tariff
revenues would make up a considerable share of the ânet lossâ. On balance, the financial
savings for the UK would be negligible and the impact on member states would be
manageable. Also the impact on the classification of regions in EU Cohesion Policy is
projected to be minimal and the European Fund for Strategic Investments is not affected by
changes in membership
Cities: The Juncker Commission should not miss this key to growth, jobs and the environment. CEPS Commentary, 3 October 2014
Cities, more particularly âsmartâ cities, could become a catalyst for economic and social development. For this to happen, Europe will need a new type of integrated infrastructure, a new urban governance and policy structure, as well as new finance and business models. Successful smart projects will eventually develop into new business models and companies. While the European Commission cannot mandate or regulate this top down, it has a role to play in nurturing new initiatives to allow Europe the possibility of developing its own Google and Apple
- âŠ