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| David Cameron 'battling for Britain' as EU summit begins | David Cameron 'battling for Britain' as EU summit begins |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| David Cameron has said he will battle all night if necessary at a summit in Brussels to ensure he maintains momentum in his attempt to secure a successful renegotiation of the terms of Britain’s membership of the EU. | David Cameron has said he will battle all night if necessary at a summit in Brussels to ensure he maintains momentum in his attempt to secure a successful renegotiation of the terms of Britain’s membership of the EU. |
| The prime minister’s remarks came at the start of the two-day summit, at which the British package will be discussed at length for the first time in the hope of progress towards a detailed compromise in time for another summit in February. | The prime minister’s remarks came at the start of the two-day summit, at which the British package will be discussed at length for the first time in the hope of progress towards a detailed compromise in time for another summit in February. |
| Cameron is negotiating not only the details of the package but also the extent to which it is legally binding and whether treaty change will be required, probably after the French and German elections in 2017. The talks are deadlocked over Cameron’s attempts to freeze in-work benefits for EU citizens for the first four years after arrival in Britain. | Cameron is negotiating not only the details of the package but also the extent to which it is legally binding and whether treaty change will be required, probably after the French and German elections in 2017. The talks are deadlocked over Cameron’s attempts to freeze in-work benefits for EU citizens for the first four years after arrival in Britain. |
| Related: David Cameron on verge of hardest negotiation on EU membership terms | Related: David Cameron on verge of hardest negotiation on EU membership terms |
| Arriving at the summit, Cameron said: “Tonight here in Brussels we are going to have a conversation dedicated to Britain’s renegotiation of its position in Europe and I want to see real progress in all of the four areas that I have mentioned. We’re not pushing for a deal tonight but we’re pushing for real momentum so that we can get this deal done. So I will be battling for Britain right through the night and I think we’ll be getting a good deal.” | Arriving at the summit, Cameron said: “Tonight here in Brussels we are going to have a conversation dedicated to Britain’s renegotiation of its position in Europe and I want to see real progress in all of the four areas that I have mentioned. We’re not pushing for a deal tonight but we’re pushing for real momentum so that we can get this deal done. So I will be battling for Britain right through the night and I think we’ll be getting a good deal.” |
| As other EU leaders arrived, most said they wanted the UK to stay in the EU and would look for compromise but they could not abandon fundamental principles such as the free movement of workers within the EU, the single biggest problem Cameron has faced for the last two years. | As other EU leaders arrived, most said they wanted the UK to stay in the EU and would look for compromise but they could not abandon fundamental principles such as the free movement of workers within the EU, the single biggest problem Cameron has faced for the last two years. |
| Cameron has been asking for a ban on EU migrants having access to in-work tax credits unless they have contributed for four years, but the idea has been rejected by many EU countries on the basis that it is discriminatory or breaches principles of free movement. | Cameron has been asking for a ban on EU migrants having access to in-work tax credits unless they have contributed for four years, but the idea has been rejected by many EU countries on the basis that it is discriminatory or breaches principles of free movement. |
| Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s François Hollande made plain that, as it stands, the British demand would not be accepted. Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, who is chairing the summit, bluntly denounced the benefits curbs proposal as unacceptable. | Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s François Hollande made plain that, as it stands, the British demand would not be accepted. Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, who is chairing the summit, bluntly denounced the benefits curbs proposal as unacceptable. |
| “The consultations I have led with all member states show goodwill of all the parties involved but it doesn’t change the fact that some parts of the British proposal seem unacceptable,” said Tusk, who is charged with mediating a settlement, probably by February. “However, if Prime Minister Cameron persuades leaders tonight that we can work together to find solutions regarding all four baskets then we will have a real chance to strike a deal in February.” | |
| Related: Cameron ready to give way over ban on in-work benefits for EU migrants | Related: Cameron ready to give way over ban on in-work benefits for EU migrants |
| European commission officials emphasised the need to make progress on Thursday. One official said: “There’s a certain orchestration to make sure that tonight things work out well for David Cameron, to make it look as if he is winning, because no one wants a Brexit.” | European commission officials emphasised the need to make progress on Thursday. One official said: “There’s a certain orchestration to make sure that tonight things work out well for David Cameron, to make it look as if he is winning, because no one wants a Brexit.” |
| UK officials said the leaders would not get into the technical detail of possible options or texts over dinner on Thursday. | UK officials said the leaders would not get into the technical detail of possible options or texts over dinner on Thursday. |
| Cameron faces a wall of resistance over the changes he is demanding before whatever is agreed can be put to a referendum in Britain. Given that other countries have rejected key elements of the UK wishlist, British officials have suggested they should come up with alternative proposals. This was dismissed by Martin Schulz, the speaker of the European parliament, who said: “It wasn’t the EU that invented the referendum.” | Cameron faces a wall of resistance over the changes he is demanding before whatever is agreed can be put to a referendum in Britain. Given that other countries have rejected key elements of the UK wishlist, British officials have suggested they should come up with alternative proposals. This was dismissed by Martin Schulz, the speaker of the European parliament, who said: “It wasn’t the EU that invented the referendum.” |
| Merkel sounded conciliatory towards Cameron while remaining staunch in defence of what she described as Europe’s fundamental liberties and principles, meaning freedom of movement for labour and non-discrimination on the basis of nationality – both of which would be impaired if Cameron gets his way. | Merkel sounded conciliatory towards Cameron while remaining staunch in defence of what she described as Europe’s fundamental liberties and principles, meaning freedom of movement for labour and non-discrimination on the basis of nationality – both of which would be impaired if Cameron gets his way. |
| She said it should be possible to reach a solution “if there’s a readiness for movement on all sides” in the debate. “Germany for its part is ready to do that,” Merkel added. “We wish to see the UK in the European Union going forward. We will have an open debate. I will conduct this debate on the German side in the spirit that we would like to preserve Great Britain as a member, without however restricting the basic freedoms – non-discrimination, freedom of movement.” | She said it should be possible to reach a solution “if there’s a readiness for movement on all sides” in the debate. “Germany for its part is ready to do that,” Merkel added. “We wish to see the UK in the European Union going forward. We will have an open debate. I will conduct this debate on the German side in the spirit that we would like to preserve Great Britain as a member, without however restricting the basic freedoms – non-discrimination, freedom of movement.” |
| Hollande was tougher, saying the negotiations would go well provided the British proposals observed EU law. If not, he said, the negotiations would be difficult. The benefit curbs proposal breaks current EU law. | Hollande was tougher, saying the negotiations would go well provided the British proposals observed EU law. If not, he said, the negotiations would be difficult. The benefit curbs proposal breaks current EU law. |
| Related: All EU states oppose David Cameron's freeze on migrant benefits | Related: All EU states oppose David Cameron's freeze on migrant benefits |
| Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European commission, suggested there might be other ways to resolve Cameron’s emphasis on reducing EU migration to Britain. | Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European commission, suggested there might be other ways to resolve Cameron’s emphasis on reducing EU migration to Britain. |
| “The commission is ready to look for other options than the single one proposed by the British prime minister and I am quite convinced that we will find an answer to that highly complicated question,” he said. “I do not want the British to leave and I do not want to blame the British. They have their points, we have our points.” | “The commission is ready to look for other options than the single one proposed by the British prime minister and I am quite convinced that we will find an answer to that highly complicated question,” he said. “I do not want the British to leave and I do not want to blame the British. They have their points, we have our points.” |
| Cameron wants “real progress” in four key areas: greater protections for non-euro countries, an exclusion for Britain from the “ever closer union” goal in the EU’s treaties, greater economic competitiveness and a limit on benefits for EU migrants. | Cameron wants “real progress” in four key areas: greater protections for non-euro countries, an exclusion for Britain from the “ever closer union” goal in the EU’s treaties, greater economic competitiveness and a limit on benefits for EU migrants. |
| Domestic polls variously predict vastly different outcomes, but there appears to be cynicism in the UK over whether Cameron will achieve a huge amount on his renegotiation. | Domestic polls variously predict vastly different outcomes, but there appears to be cynicism in the UK over whether Cameron will achieve a huge amount on his renegotiation. |
| Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the campaign group Vote Leave, said: “David Cameron is manufacturing his battle with other EU leaders to cover up for the fact he isn’t asking for anything much at all. People will see through his spin – the only way to get real change and take back control is to vote leave.” | Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the campaign group Vote Leave, said: “David Cameron is manufacturing his battle with other EU leaders to cover up for the fact he isn’t asking for anything much at all. People will see through his spin – the only way to get real change and take back control is to vote leave.” |
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