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| EU summit: 'a lot still to be done' on UK deal, says Tusk – live | EU summit: 'a lot still to be done' on UK deal, says Tusk – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 4.40am GMT | |
| 04:40 | |
| David Cameron has exited – temporarily, Brexit fans! – the talks with Tusk and Juncker. I think we can forgive him for not looking relaxed at 5.30am on zero sleep. | |
| He’ll reportedly be back for talks at 9am CET. | |
| Out goes Cameron. Not relaxed to say the least. #Brexit #EUCO pic.twitter.com/74GTl3xRtI | |
| Updated | |
| at 4.41am GMT | |
| 4.25am GMT | |
| 04:25 | |
| What we know so far | |
| Claire Phipps | |
| As day one of the summit ticks over into day two with barely a chance for a snooze, here are the latest developments: | |
| We have made some progress but a lot still remains to be done. | |
| The important statement for me today is that we have not only reaffirmed the EU-Turkey action plan, but we have said it is our priority. | |
| He has come along with his begging bowl, saying please sir, can we have more concessions? Most of what you are seeing here is theatre. It’s theatre from Mr Cameron and it’s theatre from the other leaders. | |
| 4.05am GMT | 4.05am GMT |
| 04:05 | 04:05 |
| 5am in Brussels. I’m not sure whether this now counts as day one or day two. But Cameron appears to have returned to the table with Tusk and Juncker: | 5am in Brussels. I’m not sure whether this now counts as day one or day two. But Cameron appears to have returned to the table with Tusk and Juncker: |
| Yawn. Bilateral with Michel ended. Now Cameron back in the room again #EUCO | Yawn. Bilateral with Michel ended. Now Cameron back in the room again #EUCO |
| 3.56am GMT | 3.56am GMT |
| 03:56 | 03:56 |
| The Czech minister for European affairs, Tomáš Prouza, has called it a night: | The Czech minister for European affairs, Tomáš Prouza, has called it a night: |
| Getting to the hotel finally at 4:45 after a bilateral w/ Tusk & JCJ, only a laundry delivery truck is around. pic.twitter.com/HIgDHsct02 | Getting to the hotel finally at 4:45 after a bilateral w/ Tusk & JCJ, only a laundry delivery truck is around. pic.twitter.com/HIgDHsct02 |
| It’s not over yet, though: Tusk and Juncker are reportedly now in a bilateral meeting with Belgian PM Charles Michel. | It’s not over yet, though: Tusk and Juncker are reportedly now in a bilateral meeting with Belgian PM Charles Michel. |
| 3.38am GMT | 3.38am GMT |
| 03:38 | 03:38 |
| Deliberately or not, EU leaders have ensured that the key lines to come out of the summit at the end of day one concern migration, rather than Britain’s demand for a new deal: | Deliberately or not, EU leaders have ensured that the key lines to come out of the summit at the end of day one concern migration, rather than Britain’s demand for a new deal: |
| European Union leaders threw their weight behind efforts to work with Turkey to limit the flow of refugees to Europe, with German chancellor Angela Merkel labelling it a priority in an announcement early on Friday. | European Union leaders threw their weight behind efforts to work with Turkey to limit the flow of refugees to Europe, with German chancellor Angela Merkel labelling it a priority in an announcement early on Friday. |
| “The important statement for me today is that we have not only reaffirmed the EU-Turkey action plan, but we have said it is our priority,” Merkel said of the plan to address migration and border controls. | “The important statement for me today is that we have not only reaffirmed the EU-Turkey action plan, but we have said it is our priority,” Merkel said of the plan to address migration and border controls. |
| Merkel noted Austria backed the plan, despite its unilateral decision to introduce daily caps on migrants. “In Europe we are all always partners,” she said. | Merkel noted Austria backed the plan, despite its unilateral decision to introduce daily caps on migrants. “In Europe we are all always partners,” she said. |
| The European Council president, Donald Tusk, earlier announced the postponed extraordinary summit with Turkey would now be held probably in early March. | The European Council president, Donald Tusk, earlier announced the postponed extraordinary summit with Turkey would now be held probably in early March. |
| The “joint action plan with Turkey remains a priority and we must do all we can to succeed”, he said. | The “joint action plan with Turkey remains a priority and we must do all we can to succeed”, he said. |
| Related: Refugee crisis: joint action with Turkey the priority, say Merkel, as summit called | Related: Refugee crisis: joint action with Turkey the priority, say Merkel, as summit called |
| 3.19am GMT | 3.19am GMT |
| 03:19 | 03:19 |
| Good news for fans of exceedingly drawn-out negotiations and days-long live blogs: Dutch PM Mark Rutte says the talks on a UK deal might run into Saturday: | Good news for fans of exceedingly drawn-out negotiations and days-long live blogs: Dutch PM Mark Rutte says the talks on a UK deal might run into Saturday: |
| Premier Rutte sluit niet uit dat er tot zaterdag wordt onderhandeld over Brexit #mooiperszaaltje pic.twitter.com/IZXDUEkmaN | Premier Rutte sluit niet uit dat er tot zaterdag wordt onderhandeld over Brexit #mooiperszaaltje pic.twitter.com/IZXDUEkmaN |
| 3.09am GMT | 3.09am GMT |
| 03:09 | 03:09 |
| The full text of the European council conclusions on migration is now available here. | The full text of the European council conclusions on migration is now available here. |
| Some key lines: | Some key lines: |
| 2.47am GMT | 2.47am GMT |
| 02:47 | 02:47 |
| Angela Merkel has held a press conference in which she discussed the agreement among EU leaders to meet with Turkey in March in a further attempt to resolve Europe’s migration crisis: | Angela Merkel has held a press conference in which she discussed the agreement among EU leaders to meet with Turkey in March in a further attempt to resolve Europe’s migration crisis: |
| The important statement for me today is that we have not only reaffirmed the EU-Turkey action plan, but we have said it is our priority. | The important statement for me today is that we have not only reaffirmed the EU-Turkey action plan, but we have said it is our priority. |
| Merkel said Austria backed the EU-Turkey plan, despite its unilateral decision to introduce daily caps on migrants: | Merkel said Austria backed the EU-Turkey plan, despite its unilateral decision to introduce daily caps on migrants: |
| In Europe we are all always partners. | In Europe we are all always partners. |
| You can read more on the Austrian plan to introduce a daily limit of 80 asylum claims here: | You can read more on the Austrian plan to introduce a daily limit of 80 asylum claims here: |
| Related: Austria dismisses criticism of its plan to limit daily refugee numbers | Related: Austria dismisses criticism of its plan to limit daily refugee numbers |
| 2.26am GMT | 2.26am GMT |
| 02:26 | 02:26 |
| David Cameron’s meeting with Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker continues – we don’t know what they’re saying but the body language is interesting enough: | David Cameron’s meeting with Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker continues – we don’t know what they’re saying but the body language is interesting enough: |
| It also looks likely that German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president François Hollande will meet separately – though reportedly not until the more civilised hour of 10am Friday. | It also looks likely that German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president François Hollande will meet separately – though reportedly not until the more civilised hour of 10am Friday. |
| 2.08am GMT | 2.08am GMT |
| 02:08 | 02:08 |
| Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy doesn’t share his Italian counterpart’s pessimism on the UK/EU talks: | Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy doesn’t share his Italian counterpart’s pessimism on the UK/EU talks: |
| I think it is going well. I hope that tomorrow we will have a deal. | I think it is going well. I hope that tomorrow we will have a deal. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.09am GMT | at 2.09am GMT |
| 2.01am GMT | 2.01am GMT |
| 02:01 | 02:01 |
| EU-Turkey migration summit on 5 March | EU-Turkey migration summit on 5 March |
| Some more details on what is, so far, the only breakthrough of the evening: a special summit between EU leaders and Turkey to attempt to resolve the migration crisis. | Some more details on what is, so far, the only breakthrough of the evening: a special summit between EU leaders and Turkey to attempt to resolve the migration crisis. |
| Reuters reports that the meeting has been pencilled in for 5 March. | Reuters reports that the meeting has been pencilled in for 5 March. |
| Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu is not in Brussels, following Wednesday’s bomb attack in Ankara. | Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu is not in Brussels, following Wednesday’s bomb attack in Ankara. |
| 1.56am GMT | 1.56am GMT |
| 01:56 | 01:56 |
| The Irish taoiseach, Enda Kenny, also indicates that not everyone is heading to bed just yet: | The Irish taoiseach, Enda Kenny, also indicates that not everyone is heading to bed just yet: |
| Discussion on Europe's migration crisis just concluded - bi-laterals on #UKinEU settlement will continue though the night here in Brussels. | Discussion on Europe's migration crisis just concluded - bi-laterals on #UKinEU settlement will continue though the night here in Brussels. |
| 1.53am GMT | 1.53am GMT |
| 01:53 | 01:53 |
| Renzi 'less optimistic' about UK deal | Renzi 'less optimistic' about UK deal |
| Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi said he was less optimistic than before about a European Union deal on new membership terms for Britain after some backward steps occurred on the first day of an EU summit, Reuters reports. | Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi said he was less optimistic than before about a European Union deal on new membership terms for Britain after some backward steps occurred on the first day of an EU summit, Reuters reports. |
| Speaking to reporters early on Friday after hours of summit debate on Britain’s reform demands and the EU’s migration crisis, Renzi said there had been “some timid steps forward on migration, some steps back on a UK deal”. | Speaking to reporters early on Friday after hours of summit debate on Britain’s reform demands and the EU’s migration crisis, Renzi said there had been “some timid steps forward on migration, some steps back on a UK deal”. |
| Asked whether he still believed a deal with Britain would be possible on Friday, he said: | Asked whether he still believed a deal with Britain would be possible on Friday, he said: |
| I’m always confident, but a bit less optimistic than when I arrived. | I’m always confident, but a bit less optimistic than when I arrived. |
| 1.49am GMT | 1.49am GMT |
| 01:49 | 01:49 |
| 2.45am Friday, to be precise … Strong coffee to follow. | 2.45am Friday, to be precise … Strong coffee to follow. |
| First bilateral this night with PM @David_Cameron and @JunckerEU on new #UKinEU settlement pic.twitter.com/qcCDuUi5lf | First bilateral this night with PM @David_Cameron and @JunckerEU on new #UKinEU settlement pic.twitter.com/qcCDuUi5lf |
| 1.45am GMT | 1.45am GMT |
| 01:45 | 01:45 |
| Tusk will move on to talks with British prime minister David Cameron, French president François Hollande, Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka and Belgian PM Charles Michel on Friday: | Tusk will move on to talks with British prime minister David Cameron, French president François Hollande, Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka and Belgian PM Charles Michel on Friday: |
| On #UKinEU I will now hold a series of bilateral meetings starting with @David_Cameron, @fhollande, @SlavekSobotka, @CharlesMichel. | On #UKinEU I will now hold a series of bilateral meetings starting with @David_Cameron, @fhollande, @SlavekSobotka, @CharlesMichel. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.04am GMT | at 2.04am GMT |
| 1.41am GMT | 1.41am GMT |
| 01:41 | 01:41 |
| 'A lot still to be done' on UK deal, says Tusk | 'A lot still to be done' on UK deal, says Tusk |
| On the UK deal negotiations, Tusk adds: | On the UK deal negotiations, Tusk adds: |
| For now I can only say that we have made some progress but a lot still remains to be done. | For now I can only say that we have made some progress but a lot still remains to be done. |
| He doesn’t take questions from waiting reporters but tells them: | He doesn’t take questions from waiting reporters but tells them: |
| Thank you and I wish you a good and long night. | Thank you and I wish you a good and long night. |
| Juncker doesn’t speak about the UK talks. | Juncker doesn’t speak about the UK talks. |
| 1.39am GMT | 1.39am GMT |
| 01:39 | 01:39 |
| Donald Tusk says the EU leaders have agreed conclusions on migration. | Donald Tusk says the EU leaders have agreed conclusions on migration. |
| An action plan with Turkey remains the priority, and a meeting should take place in March. | An action plan with Turkey remains the priority, and a meeting should take place in March. |
| Our discussion in this critical moment of the migration crisis has only reinforced our commitment to building a European consensus. | Our discussion in this critical moment of the migration crisis has only reinforced our commitment to building a European consensus. |
| On migration, there is no good alternative to a comprehensive European plan. We must look for a synthesis of different approaches. | On migration, there is no good alternative to a comprehensive European plan. We must look for a synthesis of different approaches. |
| A European solution on migration is about decisions taken in capitals but we must improve the coordination of those decisions. | A European solution on migration is about decisions taken in capitals but we must improve the coordination of those decisions. |
| We need to get back to a situation where all members of the Schengen area fully apply the Schengen borders code. | We need to get back to a situation where all members of the Schengen area fully apply the Schengen borders code. |