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Don't let EU reform plans turn to mush, Tory rebels tell David Cameron Don't let EU reform plans turn to mush, Tory rebels tell David Cameron
(about 5 hours later)
David Cameron is being warned by Tory rebels that he is danger of ending up with a “mush” in his EU negotiations, after Downing Street announced that British and EU officials would embark on technical discussions on reform after this week’s European summit.David Cameron is being warned by Tory rebels that he is danger of ending up with a “mush” in his EU negotiations, after Downing Street announced that British and EU officials would embark on technical discussions on reform after this week’s European summit.
Tim Loughton, the former children’s minister, said the prime minister’s reform plan risked being reduced to the lowest common denominator by civil servants who have no feel for the political need to achieve significant change in the terms of Britain’s EU membership.Tim Loughton, the former children’s minister, said the prime minister’s reform plan risked being reduced to the lowest common denominator by civil servants who have no feel for the political need to achieve significant change in the terms of Britain’s EU membership.
Loughton, who rebelled against the government in a vote on the EU referendum bill last week, said: “Unless the negotiations are going to be led and overseen by a big hitter – the prime minister – we will get a mush. The civil service is not wired to negotiate the best possible deal.Loughton, who rebelled against the government in a vote on the EU referendum bill last week, said: “Unless the negotiations are going to be led and overseen by a big hitter – the prime minister – we will get a mush. The civil service is not wired to negotiate the best possible deal.
“The balance of competences review [the review of the impact of EU laws on the UK in the last parliament] was a damp squib. Civil servants go for the lowest common denominator.”“The balance of competences review [the review of the impact of EU laws on the UK in the last parliament] was a damp squib. Civil servants go for the lowest common denominator.”
Earlier Downing Street said officials from the EU’s council secretariat in Brussels would embark on several months of negotiations with British officials led by Cameron’s senior EU adviser Tom Scholar. Earlier Downing Street had said officials from the EU’s council secretariat in Brussels would embark on several months of negotiations with British officials led by Cameron’s senior EU adviser Tom Scholar.
The negotiations will be launched after the prime minister outlines his reform plans to the European Council – the EU’s 28 heads of state or government – at its annual June gathering in Brussels on Thursday and Friday this week.The negotiations will be launched after the prime minister outlines his reform plans to the European Council – the EU’s 28 heads of state or government – at its annual June gathering in Brussels on Thursday and Friday this week.
This timetable could allow the negotiations to return to EU leaders at their final European Council of the year, held in Brussels in December, paving the way for a possible referendum in the second half of 2016.This timetable could allow the negotiations to return to EU leaders at their final European Council of the year, held in Brussels in December, paving the way for a possible referendum in the second half of 2016.
The prime minister will have another meeting with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor who is seen in Downing Street as the key figure in the EU negotiations, before this week’s Brussels summit. Cameron is travelling to Berlin on Wednesday for a state banquet in honour of the Queen who is embarking on a state visit to Germany.The prime minister will have another meeting with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor who is seen in Downing Street as the key figure in the EU negotiations, before this week’s Brussels summit. Cameron is travelling to Berlin on Wednesday for a state banquet in honour of the Queen who is embarking on a state visit to Germany.
The prime minister will then travel to Brussels to hold bilateral talks with the final set of EU leaders he has yet to brief in person on his reform plans. They are the leaders of Greece, Austria, Portugal, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania and Malta.The prime minister will then travel to Brussels to hold bilateral talks with the final set of EU leaders he has yet to brief in person on his reform plans. They are the leaders of Greece, Austria, Portugal, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania and Malta.
Cameron will either speak to them by phone or hold talks in Brussels before the formal opening of the summit on Thursday afternoon.Cameron will either speak to them by phone or hold talks in Brussels before the formal opening of the summit on Thursday afternoon.
The conversations with the remaining leaders could prove tough. The Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, is likely to be preoccupied with his country’s financial crisis, while the Austrian chancellor, Werner Faymann, was quoted by the German magazine Der Spiegel in May as suggesting that Cameron was not acting responsibly on the EU by planning an in/out referendum for the UK.The conversations with the remaining leaders could prove tough. The Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, is likely to be preoccupied with his country’s financial crisis, while the Austrian chancellor, Werner Faymann, was quoted by the German magazine Der Spiegel in May as suggesting that Cameron was not acting responsibly on the EU by planning an in/out referendum for the UK.
The prime minister’s official spokeswoman said Cameron wanted technical discussions at official levels to begin soon after the June summit and to be concluded within several months. “On renegotiation, we would like to maintain momentum on the discussions we’ve had so far and pave the way for technical talks following the European council. One would expect them to take several months … The Germans have already indicated they are open to having official-level discussions,” she said.The prime minister’s official spokeswoman said Cameron wanted technical discussions at official levels to begin soon after the June summit and to be concluded within several months. “On renegotiation, we would like to maintain momentum on the discussions we’ve had so far and pave the way for technical talks following the European council. One would expect them to take several months … The Germans have already indicated they are open to having official-level discussions,” she said.
Government sources said Downing Street was keeping open the option of holding major negotiations on the prime minister’s EU reform plans. But sources said No 10 did not want to tie itself down and may wait until next year to embark on the full negotiations.Government sources said Downing Street was keeping open the option of holding major negotiations on the prime minister’s EU reform plans. But sources said No 10 did not want to tie itself down and may wait until next year to embark on the full negotiations.
The officials from the council secretariat, who will be joined by officials from the European commission, will be told by British officials that UK government lawyers believe treaty change will be required for at least two of Cameron’s demands. These are a four-year ban on EU migrants claiming in-work benefits and and UK exemption from the EU’s historic commitment to forge an “ever closer union” of the peoples of Europe. The officials from the council secretariat, who will be joined by officials from the European commission, will be told by British officials that UK government lawyers believe treaty change will be required for at least two of Cameron’s demands. These are a four-year ban on EU migrants claiming in-work benefits and UK exemption from the EU’s historic commitment to forge an “ever closer union” of the peoples of Europe.
The prime minister’s other key demands include giving non-eurozone members such as the UK protections to ensure they cannot be outvoted on the single market by eurozone members. Cameron also wants national parliaments to have the right to club together to block EU legislation. The prime minister’s other key demands include giving non-eurozone members, such as the UK, protections to ensure they cannot be outvoted on the single market by eurozone members. Cameron also wants national parliaments to have the right to club together to block EU legislation.