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Cameron faces Brussels deadlock over planned change to EU migrants' benefits Cameron faces Brussels deadlock over planned change to EU migrants' benefits
(35 minutes later)
An embattled David Cameron on Thursday night started to talk the language of compromise over his plans to withdraw in-work benefits from EU migrants for four years after he faced an apparently impregnable resistance to the proposal at a summit in Brussels. An embattled David Cameron has started to talk the language of compromise over his plans to withdraw in-work benefits from EU migrants for four years after he faced an apparently impregnable resistance to the proposal at a summit in Brussels.
The opposition to the centrepiece of the prime minister’s renegotiation came not just from France and Germany, but more than a dozen EU countries including Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, the four east European states who would be most affected by Cameron’s benefits curbs. The opposition to the centrepiece of the prime minister’s renegotiation came not just from France and Germany, but more than a dozen EU countries including Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, the four east European states who would be most affected by Cameron’s benefits curbs.
The dissent suggested Cameron’s eight-month-long diplomatic tour of EU capitals has brought him only limited rewards.The dissent suggested Cameron’s eight-month-long diplomatic tour of EU capitals has brought him only limited rewards.
In Cameron’s speech at the start of a working dinner designed to reset Britain’s 42-year-old uneasy relationship with the European Union, he again set out the case for a four-year ban on migrants’ benefits and stressed that mass migration could yet drive the UK from the EU. But he also said he was willing to shelve his specific proposal so long as any alternative effectively addressed UK voters’ concerns about migration. In Cameron’s speech on Thursday night at the start of a working dinner designed to reset Britain’s 42-year-old uneasy relationship with the European Union, he again set out the case for a four-year ban on migrants’ benefits and stressed that mass migration could yet drive the UK from the EU. But he also said he was willing to shelve his specific proposal as long as any alternative effectively addressed UK voters’ concerns about migration.
The three potential ways out for the increasingly cornered prime minister are: a one-year ban on in-work benefit; an emergency brake if migration numbers suddenly escalate; and finally a ban on in-work benefits that applies to UK as well as EU citizens.The three potential ways out for the increasingly cornered prime minister are: a one-year ban on in-work benefit; an emergency brake if migration numbers suddenly escalate; and finally a ban on in-work benefits that applies to UK as well as EU citizens.
In his single longest intervention to EU partners in six years, Cameron urged the working dinner to recognise the unique nature of the British problem on migration, and its interaction with Britain’s welfare system.In his single longest intervention to EU partners in six years, Cameron urged the working dinner to recognise the unique nature of the British problem on migration, and its interaction with Britain’s welfare system.
He said: “The levels of migration we have seen in a relatively short period of time are unprecedented, including the pressures this places on communities and public services. This is a major concern of the British people that is undermining support for the European Union. We need to find an effective answer to this problem.He said: “The levels of migration we have seen in a relatively short period of time are unprecedented, including the pressures this places on communities and public services. This is a major concern of the British people that is undermining support for the European Union. We need to find an effective answer to this problem.
“Countries need flexibility so they can make changes to their welfare systems to better manage migration.”“Countries need flexibility so they can make changes to their welfare systems to better manage migration.”
He asked his partners: “Are we going to find the flexibility to address the concerns of the UK and work together to fix this?”He asked his partners: “Are we going to find the flexibility to address the concerns of the UK and work together to fix this?”
Cameron also emphasised that British voters have felt let down by broken promises of EU referenda and that this negotiation, if successful, offered the chance to reach a new settlement that will allow Britain to put the brake on deeper economic integration if that was the chosen path of the eurozone countries. Cameron also emphasised that British voters have felt let down by broken promises of EU referendums, and that this negotiation, if successful, offered the chance to reach a new settlement that will allow Britain to put the brake on deeper economic integration if that was the chosen path of the eurozone countries.
He also stressed there needed to be clear rules codifying the relationship between members of the eurozone and those outside.He also stressed there needed to be clear rules codifying the relationship between members of the eurozone and those outside.
Cameron also insisted Britain needed to be exempt from the principle of ever closer union set out in the 1957 Treaty of Rome. He said: “We have got to address this worry of the British people that they will be taken against their will into a political project. This is a fear that has undermined British public trust in the EU for a number of years.”Cameron also insisted Britain needed to be exempt from the principle of ever closer union set out in the 1957 Treaty of Rome. He said: “We have got to address this worry of the British people that they will be taken against their will into a political project. This is a fear that has undermined British public trust in the EU for a number of years.”
Going into the meeting the prime minister promised to battle for Britain all night, but behind the bellicose rhetoric, UK officials stressed he was not seeking a deal that night or detailed negotiations over a text, but instead signs of political momentum that could lead to an agreement at a further summit in February. Going into the meeting the prime minister promised to battle for Britain “all night”, but behind the bellicose rhetoric, UK officials stressed he was not seeking a deal that night or detailed negotiations over a text, but instead signs of political momentum that could lead to an agreement at a further summit in February.
There has been private concern that the UK’s future relationship with the EU was starting to turn on what may emerge to be a relatively narrow issue of the length of time EU migrants should be making social security contributions in the UK before they can claim in-work benefits.There has been private concern that the UK’s future relationship with the EU was starting to turn on what may emerge to be a relatively narrow issue of the length of time EU migrants should be making social security contributions in the UK before they can claim in-work benefits.
The emphasis has already been questioned by economists from the government budget watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility, who have suggested a four-year ban will have little practical impact on the migrant numbers coming to the UK. The emphasis has already been questioned by economists from the government’s budget watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, who have suggested a four-year ban will have little practical impact on the number of migrants coming to the UK.
The precise number of EU migrants currently claiming benefits in the UK is also a matter of dispute after HMRC rejected a freedom of information request to give up-to-date figures of EU migrants claiming benefits, saying it would interfere with government policymaking and not be helpful to the UK’s negotiations with its EU partners.The precise number of EU migrants currently claiming benefits in the UK is also a matter of dispute after HMRC rejected a freedom of information request to give up-to-date figures of EU migrants claiming benefits, saying it would interfere with government policymaking and not be helpful to the UK’s negotiations with its EU partners.
HMRC later admitted it had withheld the numbers but said it had been wrong to suggest this was linked to the EU negotiations. Downing Street said the figures will be collated in time for a referendum.HMRC later admitted it had withheld the numbers but said it had been wrong to suggest this was linked to the EU negotiations. Downing Street said the figures will be collated in time for a referendum.
The EU leaders rejecting the UK’s proposal for a four-year ban on in-work benefits were led by Xavier Bettel, prime minister of Luxembourg and the current holder of the EU’s rotating presidency.The EU leaders rejecting the UK’s proposal for a four-year ban on in-work benefits were led by Xavier Bettel, prime minister of Luxembourg and the current holder of the EU’s rotating presidency.
He said: “There are clear red lines and I don’t think that many other people will support Mr Cameron in the direction of limiting those values on which Europe has been constructed. He made a series of proposals, but there are alsolimits that aren’t acceptable to us.”He said: “There are clear red lines and I don’t think that many other people will support Mr Cameron in the direction of limiting those values on which Europe has been constructed. He made a series of proposals, but there are alsolimits that aren’t acceptable to us.”
“There should be possibilities to arrive at solutions if there’s a readiness for movement on all sides,” German chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters. “We’d like to preserve Great Britain as a member, without however restricting the basic freedoms – non-discrimination, freedom of movement.” “There should be possibilities to arrive at solutions if there’s a readiness for movement on all sides,” the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, told reporters. “We’d like to preserve Great Britain as a member, without however restricting the basic freedoms – non-discrimination, freedom of movement.”
“We want to listen to Mr Cameron,” French president François Hollande said. “We know his proposals, but they’ll be clarified: if they are in line with European agreements, there can be a negotiation, otherwise the negotiation will be a bitmore difficult.” “We want to listen to Mr Cameron,” the French president, François Hollande, said. “We know his proposals, but they’ll be clarified: if they are in line with European agreements, there can be a negotiation, otherwise the negotiation will be a bit more difficult.”
Cameron also encountered opposition to his proposal first-hand as he met with the prime ministers of the four eastern EU states collectively known as the Visegrád Group: Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. Cameron also encountered opposition to his proposal first-hand as he met with the prime ministers of the four eastern EU states collectively known as the Visegrad group: Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.
In a joint statement after that meeting, the four leaders cited freedom of movement as one of the EU’s “fundamental values”, and said they would not support “any solutions which would be discriminatory or limit free movement”.In a joint statement after that meeting, the four leaders cited freedom of movement as one of the EU’s “fundamental values”, and said they would not support “any solutions which would be discriminatory or limit free movement”.
Martin Schulz, a German socialist who is president of the European parliament, said that Cameron has to come toward the EU position rather than the other way round. “It’s not like it’s us who invented this referendum,” he said. Martin Schulz, a German socialist who is president of the European parliament, said that Cameron has to come toward the EU position rather than the other way around. “It’s not like it’s us who invented this referendum,” he said.
All other 27 EU nations have to agree to any UK change, so even if Cameron can convince his closest allies, such as the Dutch and Danish, it will count for nothing if he cannot overcome other objections.All other 27 EU nations have to agree to any UK change, so even if Cameron can convince his closest allies, such as the Dutch and Danish, it will count for nothing if he cannot overcome other objections.