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| Britain Receives Proposals for ‘Better Deal’ on E.U. Membership | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| LONDON — A package of concessions intended to persuade Britons to remain in the European Union was published on Tuesday, in a move that could help clear the way for a referendum in June on the country’s membership in the bloc. | |
| The plans, drafted by the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, are the result of intense discussions over demands for changes from Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain. | The plans, drafted by the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, are the result of intense discussions over demands for changes from Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain. |
| Mr. Cameron, who wants to negotiate what he calls a “better deal” from the European Union for Britain so that he can recommend it to voters when he calls the referendum, welcomed the document. | |
| He told the BBC that there had been “real progress,” adding that there was “more work to be done, more detail to be nailed down, but we said we needed to deliver in four key areas — this document shows real progress on that front.” | |
| He was expected to respond more fully to the proposals in a speech later on Tuesday. | |
| Any deal would first need the approval of the other 27 European Union nations, who will gather at a summit meeting scheduled for mid-February, and Mr. Tusk has faced a delicate balancing act in crafting his document. | |
| Although Mr. Tusk’s proposals were complex and detailed, the bigger picture is much clearer. A British decision to leave the union — a so-called Brexit — could deal a hugely damaging blow to decades of European integration, and to a bloc that is already struggling to deal with a huge influx of migrants. | |
| For Britain, much is at stake, too, because a departure could restrict its access to the union’s huge single market. The United States and other major powers have already expressed their preference that Britain remain in the bloc. | For Britain, much is at stake, too, because a departure could restrict its access to the union’s huge single market. The United States and other major powers have already expressed their preference that Britain remain in the bloc. |
| The most delicate issue on the table is Mr. Cameron’s call for the right to restrict welfare benefits for up to four years for non-British citizens of European Union countries. | The most delicate issue on the table is Mr. Cameron’s call for the right to restrict welfare benefits for up to four years for non-British citizens of European Union countries. |
| Mr. Cameron’s proposal is seen by some nations, most notably in Eastern Europe, as a breach of the principle that all European Union citizens should be treated equally across the bloc. | Mr. Cameron’s proposal is seen by some nations, most notably in Eastern Europe, as a breach of the principle that all European Union citizens should be treated equally across the bloc. |
| Mr. Tusk’s document lays out proposals that would allow Britain to apply an “emergency brake” if large numbers of people arrive in Britain, enabling the government to withhold the benefits to non-Britons from the bloc, including so-called in-work payments that typically supplement the earnings of low-wage workers. | |
| The plan also provides safeguards to the large financial sector in Britain, which decided to keep the pound rather than adopt the euro. The British government worries that, as the 19 nations that use the single currency integrate further, rules might be skewed against European Union nations that do not. | |
| There is also a provision to allow European Union legislation to be blocked if enough national parliaments oppose them. | |
| Mr. Cameron has promised to hold a referendum by the end of 2017, but most observers say they believe he wants to hold it this year, preferably in June. A delay is widely believed to benefit opponents of membership, particularly if Europe’s migration crisis worsens. | Mr. Cameron has promised to hold a referendum by the end of 2017, but most observers say they believe he wants to hold it this year, preferably in June. A delay is widely believed to benefit opponents of membership, particularly if Europe’s migration crisis worsens. |
| Among Mr. Cameron’s other demands are a call for Britain to opt out of the bloc’s ambition to forge an “ever closer union” in Europe. He has also pushed moves to extend the single market and cut regulation to bolster economic competitiveness. | Among Mr. Cameron’s other demands are a call for Britain to opt out of the bloc’s ambition to forge an “ever closer union” in Europe. He has also pushed moves to extend the single market and cut regulation to bolster economic competitiveness. |