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David Cameron 'does not expect to get agreement' over EU at Brussels summit David Cameron does not expect EU deal at Brussels summit
(34 minutes later)
David Cameron has accepted that he will not get agreement on his EU renegotiation at this month’s Brussels summit. David Cameron has rejected claims that he might be able to seal a deal on Britain’s new terms of EU membership before Christmas.
The prime minister has told the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, that the scale of his demands meant it would not be possible to get an agreement “in one go”. The prime minister had been attempting to reach a consensus at the December EU council next week, but confirmed the basis of that agreement had not yet been reached following a phone call with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.
In a telephone call with the German leader, he said that he hoped to use their final gathering this year to “keep up the pace of discussions”. Downing Street issued a statement following a call with Merkel, saying he “noted that the scale of what we are asking for means we will not resolve this in one go and consequently he did not expect to get agreement at the December European council”.
A No 10 spokesman said: “The prime minister explained that his priority is to get the substance right, underlining the need for legally binding, irreversible changes. The statement added: “Instead, we should keep up the pace of discussions and use the summit for a substantive discussion of the proposed changes in each area.”
“He noted that the scale of what we are asking for means we will not resolve this in one go and consequently he did not expect to get agreement at the December European council. The next EU summit after Christmas is in February and would be the final opportunity to reach an agreement in time for the referendum on UK membership to go ahead in June. At least 16 weeks is required between an agreement with fellow members of the EU and the issue being put to the British people. The campaign itself would require 10 weeks.
“Instead, we should keep up the pace of discussions and use the summit for a substantive discussion of the proposed changes in each area.” But the timetable is now becoming tight, and the latest stumbling block suggests Cameron still has a major hurdle to overcome if he is to reach agreement on the right of EU migrants to claim UK benefits. Cameron was travelling Bulgaria on Thursday to discuss the issue since the eastern European economies are the most resistant to the reform.
More details soon... Britain wants to block EU migrants accessing UK benefits for four years but other EU states say the policy is discriminatory.
Outlining the contents of Cameron’s phonecall with the German chancellor on Thursday, a Number 10 spokesman said: “They discussed the significant and far-reaching reforms that the prime minister has proposed to address the concerns of the British people. They agreed that good progress had been made since the prime minister’s letter to the president of the European council but that there remain difficult issues to resolve.
“The prime minister explained that his priority is to get the substance right, underlining the need for legally binding, irreversible changes. Chancellor Merkel agreed with this approach, emphasising her commitment to finding solutions that will address the concerns of the British people.”
It means Cameron will have to fight at the December council to ensure the preliminary discussion about the UK demands is given a proper airing.
Cameron set out his key demands earlier this month. With the UK set to hold a vote on its membership in the 28-nation bloc before the end of 2017, the success of the prime minister’s demands, which need approval from the other EU governments, will be crucial.
In a letter to EU council president, Donald Tusk, Cameron said he was proposing that “people coming to Britain from the EU must live here and contribute for four years before they qualify for in-work benefits or social housing”, something that would currently be in breach of the bloc’s rules.
In addition to greater controls on migration, the UK is also demanding better protection of the rights of countries outside the euro area, an increase in economic competitiveness within the EU and giving national parliaments more powers.