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| Sticking together? The issues that still need solving in Brussels talks | Sticking together? The issues that still need solving in Brussels talks |
| (7 months later) | |
| The gaps are narrowing, say British sources, but none of the problem issues have been solved. Negotiators on both sides have turned to the favourite cliche of EU summits: “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.” | The gaps are narrowing, say British sources, but none of the problem issues have been solved. Negotiators on both sides have turned to the favourite cliche of EU summits: “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.” |
| The talks are proving difficult, because every leader – not just David Cameron, who declared he was “battling for Britain” – has to show they have got the best possible deal from the summit. | The talks are proving difficult, because every leader – not just David Cameron, who declared he was “battling for Britain” – has to show they have got the best possible deal from the summit. |
| The emergency brake | The emergency brake |
| The UK is pushing for a four-year freeze on in-work benefits for EU citizens working in the country. Ahead of the summit, Cameron made a crucial concession that the changes would not apply to EU workers already in Britain, only to new arrivals. | The UK is pushing for a four-year freeze on in-work benefits for EU citizens working in the country. Ahead of the summit, Cameron made a crucial concession that the changes would not apply to EU workers already in Britain, only to new arrivals. |
| The key argument at the summit has been over how long Britain could use the emergency brake: Westminster wanted special measures in place for 13 years, but the Visegrád group of four central European countries (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic) put in a starting bid of five years. | The key argument at the summit has been over how long Britain could use the emergency brake: Westminster wanted special measures in place for 13 years, but the Visegrád group of four central European countries (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic) put in a starting bid of five years. |
| Many EU countries would support seven years, which would match the time period other western countries were able to keep eastern Europeans out of their labour markets. Britain was one of a handful of countries that welcomed east European workers with no transition period, after the enlargement of 2004. | Many EU countries would support seven years, which would match the time period other western countries were able to keep eastern Europeans out of their labour markets. Britain was one of a handful of countries that welcomed east European workers with no transition period, after the enlargement of 2004. |
| Child benefits | Child benefits |
| The prime minister wants to restrict child benefit payments to children whose parents are working in the UK and sending child benefit back home. | The prime minister wants to restrict child benefit payments to children whose parents are working in the UK and sending child benefit back home. |
| The British proposal is to base child benefit payments on the standard of living in the country where the offspring live. Although relatively small sums are at stake, this has caused one of the biggest rows at the summit, as the Visegrád countries are fearful of other countries taking advantage of benefit restrictions. | The British proposal is to base child benefit payments on the standard of living in the country where the offspring live. Although relatively small sums are at stake, this has caused one of the biggest rows at the summit, as the Visegrád countries are fearful of other countries taking advantage of benefit restrictions. |
| As the changes have to be written into EU law, it is impossible to create a one-off rule for the British, or “Lex Britannica”. When Cameron met his Polish counterpart, Beata Szydło, for a bilateral meeting, the pair spent most of the time advising each other how to sell the reforms to their respective countries. | As the changes have to be written into EU law, it is impossible to create a one-off rule for the British, or “Lex Britannica”. When Cameron met his Polish counterpart, Beata Szydło, for a bilateral meeting, the pair spent most of the time advising each other how to sell the reforms to their respective countries. |
| Eurozone ins and outs | Eurozone ins and outs |
| The French president, François Hollande, has insisted no one should have a veto over the workings of the eurozone, in response to British demands for stronger protection against adverse regulation for countries outside the single currency. The British have insisted all along that they are not asking for special treatment, but the French are suspicious of favours for the City of London. Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, was expected to broker a compromise. | The French president, François Hollande, has insisted no one should have a veto over the workings of the eurozone, in response to British demands for stronger protection against adverse regulation for countries outside the single currency. The British have insisted all along that they are not asking for special treatment, but the French are suspicious of favours for the City of London. Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, was expected to broker a compromise. |
| The British have been looking to create a new dispute procedure that would allow any country outside the single currency to stall discussions of eurozone laws. The British would like this process to be triggered by just one country. Although this is seen as too low a hurdle by the eurozone, and the final number has not been resolved, the issue has not caused big ructions. | The British have been looking to create a new dispute procedure that would allow any country outside the single currency to stall discussions of eurozone laws. The British would like this process to be triggered by just one country. Although this is seen as too low a hurdle by the eurozone, and the final number has not been resolved, the issue has not caused big ructions. |
| Ever closer union | Ever closer union |
| The British wanted an opt-out from the EU treaty motto of “ever closer union among the peoples of Europe”, as well as guarantees that European judges would not use the provision to promote deeper integration. Britain’s opt-out from deeper integration looks pretty safe, but other countries are reluctant to reopen the EU treaties. | The British wanted an opt-out from the EU treaty motto of “ever closer union among the peoples of Europe”, as well as guarantees that European judges would not use the provision to promote deeper integration. Britain’s opt-out from deeper integration looks pretty safe, but other countries are reluctant to reopen the EU treaties. |
| Treaty change | Treaty change |
| Cameron wants a legally binding deal that he can sell to the British people as irreversible, but all countries are opposed to reopening EU treaties, which would trigger a lengthy ratification process in several countries. | Cameron wants a legally binding deal that he can sell to the British people as irreversible, but all countries are opposed to reopening EU treaties, which would trigger a lengthy ratification process in several countries. |
| To help him out, the European council president, Donald Tusk, came up with an elegant compromise where treaties would be updated at a later stage, with the UK deal deposited at the UN to give it legal force. But, even then, some countries are reluctant to sign up to future treaty change in some areas. | To help him out, the European council president, Donald Tusk, came up with an elegant compromise where treaties would be updated at a later stage, with the UK deal deposited at the UN to give it legal force. But, even then, some countries are reluctant to sign up to future treaty change in some areas. |
| Greek veto | Greek veto |
| Greece’s prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, threatened to bring the entire negotiation crashing down on Friday when he said he would not support a British deal without guarantees that European borders would not be closed to refugees. | Greece’s prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, threatened to bring the entire negotiation crashing down on Friday when he said he would not support a British deal without guarantees that European borders would not be closed to refugees. |
| The two issues became mixed up as EU leaders debated how to reduce the flow of refugees arriving in Europe. Greece has been threatened with expulsion from the EU’s border-free Schengen zone, while eastern Europe is pressing for Macedonia to close its border with northern Greece. Amid pointed criticism of its border management, Athens called on other EU countries to guarantee they wouldn’t close their borders until an EU-Turkey summit in early March. | The two issues became mixed up as EU leaders debated how to reduce the flow of refugees arriving in Europe. Greece has been threatened with expulsion from the EU’s border-free Schengen zone, while eastern Europe is pressing for Macedonia to close its border with northern Greece. Amid pointed criticism of its border management, Athens called on other EU countries to guarantee they wouldn’t close their borders until an EU-Turkey summit in early March. |