The final decision on whether to introduce Cameron’s final draft for deciding Britain’s future in EU to European Council is likely to be taken tomorrow after Cameron and Tusk have a telephone conversation.
The final decision on whether to introduce Cameron’s final draft for deciding Britain’s future in EU to European Council is likely to be taken tomorrow after Cameron and Tusk have a telephone conversation.
David Cameron is willing to put a final UK ultimatum on the agenda for the pre-Christmas EU summit in Brussels on 17-18 December, yet it was planned for February. While Prime Minister negotiating with 27 other European heads of government to accept his terms for deciding Britain’s future in the EU, the European Council President Donald Tusk cautiously expresses his support for the drive to conclude the UK-EU negotiations before Christmas as the British list of key demands remained unresolved.
“In fact, his personal opinion and mine were and are that December is better than February,” Tusk told the Guardian, referring to the next two EU summits. “If he is ready to take this risk, I will be helpful. But then, it would be his risk … If Cameron is sure December is better for him as the organiser of this referendum, I will be helpful and I am ready to convince our officials”, - The Guardian quotes Tusk.
Tusk has days to decide whether the Cameron’s terms be put to the vote because, despite the fact there is no formal deadline for a decision, the other governments would need at least 10 days to study the text of a proposed settlement, states The Guardian. If agreed, the document would form the basis for Cameron’s in/out referendum, which Cameron has promised to hold by the end of 2017 but senior officials expect the vote to be held next year, reports AFP.
The Independent outlines Mr Cameron’s reform demands unveiled on Tuesday in a speech, and in a letter to Mr Tusk, outlining four main aims: safeguarding the needs of non-euro countries; cutting red tape; exempting Britain from the EU treaty commitment to “ever-closer union”; and restricting EU migrants’ access to in-work benefits. The idea of “multi-currency” union with the pound put on a par with the euro has been rejected by everyone else, The Guardian said.
“For some reasons the eastern part of Europe is more ready to accept Cameron’s demands and requests. I am quite sure. More for geopolitical reasons,” The Guardian cites Tusk. “But we have more problems with lawyers. This is a legal problem – the four years issue of the benefits for people in work”.
The future of Britain as a member of the EU may considerably depend on the results of the UK-EU negotiations, as the referendum is to be held by 2017. The BBC reports that about 40% of the British public would like the UK to leave the EU, according to the latest opinion polls. The UK Independence Party, which won the last European elections, and received nearly four million votes - 13% of those cast - in May's general election, campaigns for Britain's exit from the EU. A fair number of Conservative MPs - and several Labour ones - are also in favour of leaving.
