Research Briefing
Germany’s 2013 election: shaping the future?
Where is Germany – the most influential country in Europe – heading, under its new grand coalition government?
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Research Briefing
The Deal with Iran
On the 24th of November, the world woke up to news that a deal had been reached between the Permanent Five plus One (the UK, US, France, China, Russia and Germany) and Iran. A Joint Plan of Action was the outcome of weeks of hard negotiations. The deal was indeed revealed to be the fruit of years of US-Iran secret negotiations alongside a decade of public Iranian diplomacy following the revelation of a wide scale Iranian enrichment programme. This note seeks to outline the terms of the deal and reactions to it, background information for context and give a sense of potential technical and geopolitical outcomes.
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Research Briefing
Interpal
The UK charity collects money for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and in Lebanon and Jordan. It has been the subject of controversy because of allegations that money distributed by it has gone to promote terrorism. After some delays it has been cleared by the Charity Commission, but it is still a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organisation, on the US Treasury’s list.
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Research Briefing
The EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy: A Fresh Impetus?
The European Council Summit is due to be held on 19-20 December 2013. Among the main issues for debate is the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). It will be the first time in five years that EU leaders have comprehensively discussed EU defence policy, amid criticisms that CSDP has lost momentum due to a lack of consensus over its strategic direction, an unwillingness on the part of Member States to commit the necessary resources and the prevailing economic crisis which has seen defence budgets fall across Europe and capabilities cut.
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Research Briefing
The Royal Navy’s surface fleet: in brief
The Royal Navy is in the middle of an ambitious programme to upgrade its surface fleet with new destroyers, frigates and at least one operational aircraft carrier.
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Research Briefing
Election monitoring troubles in Azerbaijan
The 2013 presidential election in Azerbaijan set off a row between different groups of election monitors. The European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) all had groups of parliamentarians in Azerbaijan, while the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) mission consisted of a
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Research Briefing
Report Stage and Third Reading of the Defence Reform Bill
Report Stage and Third Several amendments were tabled prior to Report stage, including one which sought to impose an obligation on the Government to report on the viability and cost-effectiveness of the plan to increase the size of the Reserves, which would then be subject to approval by both Houses before the Government could continue with its reform agenda. Despite the support of several Conservative backbenchers, that amendment was, however, defeated on division. A clause seeking to increase the leave entitlement of Reservists was also defeated. Reading of the Defence Reform Bill took place in the House of Commons on 20 November 2013.
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Research Briefing
Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius: carrots v sticks
Another victory for Vladimir Putin?
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Research Briefing
Effects of the EU Charter of Rights in the UK
Does the UK have an opt-out from the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights via its Protocol? This Note presents views on the nature of the Protocol and what a 2011 ruling on the effects of the Protocl might mean with regard to the effects of the Charter in the UK.
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Research Briefing
Ending of transitional restrictions for Bulgarian and Romanian workers
Romania and Bulgaria (the ‘A2’ states) joined the EU on 1 January 2007. Their EU accession treaty permitted other Member States to impose transitional restrictions on the free movement rights of Bulgarian and Romanian ‘workers’ for up to seven years after accession, in order to guard against disruption of their labour markets. All Member States must lift restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian workers by the end of 2013.
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Research Briefing
CAP reform 2014-2020: EU Agreement and Implementation in the UK and in Ireland
A new CAP refrorm package has been agreed for 2014-2020. This paper sets out the reactions and emerging implementation decisions of the four countries of the UK, and also of Ireland.
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