This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/22/david-cameron-eu-reform-riga-european-union
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| David Cameron tells EU leaders: I will talk about reform until deal is done | David Cameron tells EU leaders: I will talk about reform until deal is done |
| (36 minutes later) | |
| David Cameron has warned fellow European leaders that he wants to get on with EU reform and will bring it up at every summit for the foreseeable future, while dismissing the objections of foreign politicians as “noise”. | David Cameron has warned fellow European leaders that he wants to get on with EU reform and will bring it up at every summit for the foreseeable future, while dismissing the objections of foreign politicians as “noise”. |
| The prime minister said he was not greeted with a “wall of love” from other leaders as he used Friday’s EU summit about eastern Europe to begin his campaign for renegotiations. | The prime minister said he was not greeted with a “wall of love” from other leaders as he used Friday’s EU summit about eastern Europe to begin his campaign for renegotiations. |
| Related: Cameron to meet Juncker at Chequers in EU renegotiation 'charm offensive' | Related: Cameron to meet Juncker at Chequers in EU renegotiation 'charm offensive' |
| But attending just one day of the Eastern Partnership Forum in Riga, he managed initial discussions with his counterparts from Sweden, Hungary and Latvia, as well as a brush-by with the prime minister of Poland, and a bear hug from the Bulgarian prime minister. | |
| Cameron said these were general conversations that just “scratched the surface” of his negotiations, but it was necessary to explain his desire for reforms given the UK will definitely be holding a referendum on its EU membership by the end of 2017 after the Conservatives’ general election win. | Cameron said these were general conversations that just “scratched the surface” of his negotiations, but it was necessary to explain his desire for reforms given the UK will definitely be holding a referendum on its EU membership by the end of 2017 after the Conservatives’ general election win. |
| Following these initial discussions, Cameron confirmed that he would be speaking to three of the most crucial players in his campaign for EU reform next week: the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the French prime minister, François Hollande. | |
| In what looks like a concerted charm offensive, he will host Juncker at his country residence, Chequers, on Monday, before flying to Paris and Berlin later in the week. Downing Street will be hoping the meeting with Juncker provides a breakthrough even though Cameron fought hard against his appointment as commission president over fears he was too wedded to EU integration. | In what looks like a concerted charm offensive, he will host Juncker at his country residence, Chequers, on Monday, before flying to Paris and Berlin later in the week. Downing Street will be hoping the meeting with Juncker provides a breakthrough even though Cameron fought hard against his appointment as commission president over fears he was too wedded to EU integration. |
| Asked about the progress of negotiations, Cameron trod a careful line between playing down any expectations of a quick deal and warning other EU leaders that he was anxious to make a start. | |
| The prime minister has promised a referendum by the end of 2017 but there are reports he would like to hold it next year if an earlier agreement can be achieved. One of his strategies appears to be making it clear to other EU leaders that he is going to persist in talking about the reforms until a deal is done. | The prime minister has promised a referendum by the end of 2017 but there are reports he would like to hold it next year if an earlier agreement can be achieved. One of his strategies appears to be making it clear to other EU leaders that he is going to persist in talking about the reforms until a deal is done. |
| “These reforms in Britain’s interests - and I would argue in Europe’s interests - are going to be discussed whenever we are gathered together … I am confident that whenever we meet we will be discussing them. I want to make early progress. As soon as we get on with it, the better,” he said. | “These reforms in Britain’s interests - and I would argue in Europe’s interests - are going to be discussed whenever we are gathered together … I am confident that whenever we meet we will be discussing them. I want to make early progress. As soon as we get on with it, the better,” he said. |
| Cameron said he was confident of getting a deal, not least because the EU benefits from Britain being a net contributor, as the second largest economy, the leading military power, the country with the largest network of diplomatic embassies and the provider of the biggest aid programme. | |
| There were complaints from some politicians that the summit was meant to focus on the EU’s relations with Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Belarus and Armenia. European parliament president Martin Schulz also described Cameron as “difficult” and rejected the idea that there could be treaty change. | There were complaints from some politicians that the summit was meant to focus on the EU’s relations with Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Belarus and Armenia. European parliament president Martin Schulz also described Cameron as “difficult” and rejected the idea that there could be treaty change. |
| Related: EU summit pledges €1.8bn to Ukraine but Russia remains elephant in room | Related: EU summit pledges €1.8bn to Ukraine but Russia remains elephant in room |
| Asked about the objections, Cameron denied having “usurped the conference for my own ends” and said the media would have to get used to “noises” from foreign politicians undermining his campaign. | Asked about the objections, Cameron denied having “usurped the conference for my own ends” and said the media would have to get used to “noises” from foreign politicians undermining his campaign. |
| “You are going to hear loads of noises over the coming weeks. One day you you’ll hear the Germans say no, the French say this, the Italians say ... You are going to hear loads of stuff. I’m not going to negotiate in public or the media ... My advice would be wait for the result,” he said. | “You are going to hear loads of noises over the coming weeks. One day you you’ll hear the Germans say no, the French say this, the Italians say ... You are going to hear loads of stuff. I’m not going to negotiate in public or the media ... My advice would be wait for the result,” he said. |
| British official sources also stressed that there could be many ways of achieving treaty change, including the possibility of an agreement now that is written into EU law at a later date. | British official sources also stressed that there could be many ways of achieving treaty change, including the possibility of an agreement now that is written into EU law at a later date. |
| Cameron has not yet set out a comprehensive list of reforms he is seeking, with aides suggesting he may not want to reveal his hand publicly at any stage in the process. However, he mentioned the UK’s demand for an exclusion from the EU drive for “ever closer union”, his unhappiness about the state of the single market and the requirement that national parliaments can set their own limits on welfare payments for new migrants. Cameron argues this would stop so many EU citizens being attracted to the UK as he comes under pressure over the fact net migration has increased to 318,000 a year. | Cameron has not yet set out a comprehensive list of reforms he is seeking, with aides suggesting he may not want to reveal his hand publicly at any stage in the process. However, he mentioned the UK’s demand for an exclusion from the EU drive for “ever closer union”, his unhappiness about the state of the single market and the requirement that national parliaments can set their own limits on welfare payments for new migrants. Cameron argues this would stop so many EU citizens being attracted to the UK as he comes under pressure over the fact net migration has increased to 318,000 a year. |
| Related: Figures show immigration surge as Cameron unveils illegal working bill | Related: Figures show immigration surge as Cameron unveils illegal working bill |
| The prime minister refused to be drawn on a specific timetable but said he acknowledged it would take time. “We’ve got to get our heads down, get on with it, have discussions and bring them to a successful conclusion,” he said. “It is not the start of detailed negotiations but about making a start and setting out the issues and trying to explain to people what we want to achieve.” | |
| A British official source said the UK recognised there were “27 nuts to crack” - in reference to the fact there will have to be approval from every EU member state. | A British official source said the UK recognised there were “27 nuts to crack” - in reference to the fact there will have to be approval from every EU member state. |
| Cameron argued that Germany has achieved treaty changes when it had problems with the eurozone and the UK deserved the same hearing for its complaints. |