Publications Archive

Wind, sun and hydrogen are seen as the keys to climate neutrality. Another one is often ignored: CO₂ storage. In a new study, the Centre for European Policy calls for the development of an EU-wide pipeline and storage infrastructure for carbon capture and storage (CCS) - as well as the removal of regulatory barriers and the conclusion of Carbon-Contracts-for-Difference for young CCS technologies.

At just 34, Gabriel Attal becomes the youngest Prime Minister of France since the beginning of Republics, in 1792. Emmanuel Macron wants to use his "energy" and "commitment" to implement his "rearmament" and "regeneration" project imagined for the second part of his second term in office. His mission will be a difficult one: he must lead the government and the presidential majority through a new electoral cycle (European and municipal elections), get laws passed in the Parliament without any absolute majority, keep on getting along with President Macron, but also strengthen the country sufficiently such that the far right does not win the 2027 presidential elections. Not to mention the surprises that are bound to happen. If he succeeds despite all these pitfalls, he will then have a chance of becoming the next President of the French Republic.

Derivatives contracts in the EU are increasingly being cleared via central counterparties (CCPs). A large proportion of this clearing, particularly for euro-denominated derivatives contracts ("euro clearing"), is carried out by clearing houses in the UK - outside the EU since Brexit. A study by the Centre for European Policy (cep), supported by Deutsche Börse, considers efforts to relocate euro clearing to the EU to be necessary.

Heavy goods vehicles cause more than 6% of all greenhouse gases in Europe – and the trend is rising. The Commission wants to reduce CO₂ emissions by promoting zero-emission vehicles and more efficient road freight transport. The Centre for European Policy (cep) supports the proposal but calls for fair competitive conditions for rail and inland waterway transport.

Whether China or the USA: digital currencies are on the rise worldwide. While the European Central Bank (ECB) has been pushing ahead with the introduction of a digital euro for years and the Commission followed suit this summer with a legal framework, the Centres for European Policy Network (cep) rejects the introduction of a European digital currency.

Pricing CO₂ emissions is considered by economists to be the key to decarbonising the transport and building sectors. In order to mitigate social hardship, the Centre for European Policy is calling for a lump sum, income-independent climate dividend - co-financed by EU revenues from 2027. The judgement of the German Constitutional Court on the German Climate Transformation Fund makes this more necessary.

Lithium, cobalt, rare earths: The energy transition has sparked a global battle for critical raw materials. This war now also threatens to be fought on social media platforms such as Twitter (X). Possible weapons: Disinformation, fake news, and propaganda. This is the result of a study by the Centre for European Policy (cep).

Energy transition, security challenges, polycrisis: In turbulent times, traditional economic models reach their limits. The rigid lines between state industrial policy and market-based ordoliberal policy are becoming increasingly blurred. Against this backdrop, the Centre for European Policy (cep) proposes a Europe-wide discussion on a new system of common conceptual thinking.

Climate-friendly hydrogen can make an important contribution to reducing carbon dioxide. At present, however, the new technology is hardly profitable for industry. In order for the market to develop quickly and generate the necessary funding, the EU is planning a European Hydrogen Bank. The Centre for European Policy (cep) sees great opportunities in this instrument, but also risks – above all the danger of over-subsidisation.

Virtual worlds like the metaverse promise growth and jobs. For this reason, the European Commission has drafted a so-called metaverse strategy. The Centre for European Policy (cep) considers the outlined measures questionable. They are misleading, unclearly formulated, and not competitive with US tech giants like Meta.