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UK officials will join talks over eurozone deal UK officials will join talks over eurozone deal
(about 1 hour later)
UK officials will join talks over what should be in a eurozone fiscal pact, despite refusing to sign up to it.UK officials will join talks over what should be in a eurozone fiscal pact, despite refusing to sign up to it.
The UK has accepted an invitation from the European Council to join talks, alongside 17 eurozone and nine other EU states considering signing up. The European Council invited them to join talks with 17 eurozone and nine other EU states considering signing up.
Last week David Cameron vetoed a treaty change involving all 27 EU states, saying it was not in UK interests. David Cameron vetoed an EU-wide treaty change involving all states and faced claims it would leave the UK isolated.
No 10 said the UK would join "technical discussions" as "equal participants". However it will not have a vote. It comes as French finance minister Francois Baroin added to tension between Paris and London by saying the British economy was "very worrying".
The aim is for the new fiscal compact to be drawn up by early February. David Cameron has denied claims that relations with French President Nicolas Sarkozy have been strained by his refusal to sign up to an EU-wide treaty last week on the grounds that UK interests were not sufficiently protected.
Common tax 'Rather be French'
BBC Europe correspondent Chris Morris said it remained to be seen what France and Germany, among others, would try to get inserted into the text during discussions. France has been warned by US credit ratings agency Standards and Poor that it could be downgraded over the eurozone crisis.
On Thursday, the chairman of the French central bank, Christian Noyer, suggested that any downgrade should instead start with the UK "which has more deficits, as much debt, more inflation, less growth than us".
Mr Baroin told Europe 1 radio on Friday: "The economic situation in Britain today is very worrying, and you'd rather be French than British in economic terms."
Downing Street downplayed the remarks, saying: "We have put in place a credible plan for dealing with our deficit and the credibility of that plan can be seen in what has happened to bond yields in this country."
And a spokesman has rejected suggestions Mr Cameron has been agitating against the eurozone agreement - after the PM spoke to his counterparts in non-eurozone countries this week.
'Equal participants'
The spokesman said the PM's aim had instead to make it clear that the UK wanted to "engage constructively" in talks about the intergovernmental agreement between eurozone and other EU states.
All EU states apart from Britain are considering signing up to the agreement, which aims to introduce closer fiscal integration in the eurozone with tougher rules on debts and deficits.
No 10 said the UK would now join "technical discussions" about what would be in the deal - which EU leaders hope will be drawn up by early February - as "equal participants". However it will not have a vote.
But BBC Brussels correspondent Matthew Price said that despite the UK being invited to join talks about what would be in the arrangement, it was unlikely that it would be present at future meetings following an agreement.
The Financial Times reported that UK officials might have "observer status", allowing them to monitor discussions on the role EU institutions may play in enforcing the deal.
National interest
Richard Corbett, an adviser to President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, told BBC Newsnight UK officials would "have the right to speak at those talks and put their view forward".
But he said, as it was not signing up to the agreement, it "will be in a sense an observer at those talks".
Downing Street said a British delegation would be "there to ensure that the views of the UK are represented and our national interest is maintained".
Whether the EU Commission and other EU-wide bodies can be used to enforce and monitor rules applying to the new grouping is likely to be one of the most controversial points up for discussion.
Tax policies
BBC Europe correspondent Chris Morris said it remained to be seen what France and Germany, among others, would try to get inserted into the text of the new accord.
He said Franco-German proposals which emerged before the summit were much more detailed and ambitious - on issues like a common eurozone corporate tax base and financial transactions tax - than what had actually been agreed in Brussels.He said Franco-German proposals which emerged before the summit were much more detailed and ambitious - on issues like a common eurozone corporate tax base and financial transactions tax - than what had actually been agreed in Brussels.
And it remained to be seen if all the other 26 states would sign up.And it remained to be seen if all the other 26 states would sign up.
On Thursday the Czech and Hungarian leaders, whose countries are not in the eurozone, said they would not sign anything that would force them to give up independent tax policies.On Thursday the Czech and Hungarian leaders, whose countries are not in the eurozone, said they would not sign anything that would force them to give up independent tax policies.
The Financial Times reported that UK officials might have "observer status", allowing them to monitor discussions on the role EU institutions may play in enforcing the deal. 'Bad for Britain'
Richard Corbett, an adviser to President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, told BBC Newsnight UK officials would "have the right to speak at those talks and put their view forward". Mr Cameron supports moves for closer fiscal integration within the eurozone to help it deal with its debt crisis.
'An observer'
But he added: "The agreement that is being negotiated is among the other member states of the union, certainly all eurozone countries and all the other ones that choose to join in.
"The UK has already indicated that it does not wish to join in with the treaty therefore it will be in a sense an observer at those talks."
But Downing Street said on Friday the UK had been invited to join the talks as "equal participants".
"You need people there from all the 27 to work out how to implement [the summit deal]," a spokeswoman for the prime minister said.
The British delegation would be "there to ensure that the views of the UK are represented and our national interest is maintained".
The government says it wants to find "the right way forward that ensures the EU institutions fulfil their role as guardian of the EU treaty on issues such as the single market".
Mr Cameron has supported moves for closer fiscal integration in the eurozone to help it deal with its debt crisis.
But he would not agree to treaty changes that would involve all 27 EU states last week, arguing he had not been given safeguards for the UK's financial services industry and access to the single market.But he would not agree to treaty changes that would involve all 27 EU states last week, arguing he had not been given safeguards for the UK's financial services industry and access to the single market.
Instead the 17 eurozone countries and all other EU states apart from Britain said they would consider an intergovernmental agreement which included tougher fiscal rules for the eurozone.
Mr Cameron's critics accused him of leaving Britain without a seat at the table when important issues that could affect Britain - like the single market - were discussed.Mr Cameron's critics accused him of leaving Britain without a seat at the table when important issues that could affect Britain - like the single market - were discussed.
And his deputy PM, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said later the outcome was "bad for Britain". He said Mr Cameron had been put in a "very difficult position" by his Eurosceptic backbench MPs. And his deputy PM, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said later the outcome was "bad for Britain".
BBC Brussels correspondent Matthew Price said that despite the UK being invited to join talks about what would be in the accord, it was unlikely that it would be present at future meetings following an agreement. But Mr Cameron told MPs that signing up to a treaty which would have "changed the nature of the EU - strengthening the eurozone without balancing measures to strengthen the single market" would have been the biggest danger.
Whether the EU Commission and other EU-wide bodies can be used to enforce and monitor rules applying to the new grouping is likely to be one of the most controversial points up for discussion.
No 10 also confirmed the UK would take part in an informal summit of all 27 EU members in January focused on boosting jobs, growth and competitiveness.