David Cameron is locked in negotiations with the other European leaders at the crunch summit in Brussels. With no sign of a deal, there is a chance the whole thing could drag on until Sunday. But what exactly are the issues that haven’t been agreed? Here are the main areas which are proving a sticking point for the PM:
Economic Governance:
The Prime Minister wants recognition that the EU has more than one currency and that Britain won’t be disadvantaged by not being within the Euro. As well as this, David Cameron is seeking assurances that British taxpayers will never be liable for propping up the Eurozone.
The emergency brake:
Another key factor being discussed is the issue of the emergency brake on in-work benefits for migrants. David Cameron kickstarted the negotiations yesterday by saying he wanted the brake to last for 13 years. It seems unlikely that other European leaders would agree to this, so the talks are likely to focus on agreeing a compromise in the number of years the brake would apply for.
Curbs on migrant benefits:
Another of Britain’s demands is that child benefit will be restricted for EU migrant workers whose children do not live in the UK. Eastern European countries such as Poland have voiced their disagreement about this demand. What’s more, the negotiations on this are being complicated over the issue of whether other EU countries might try and apply a similar brake in their own countries.
Ever closer union:
The Prime Minister wants assurance that Britain will be able to remove itself from the EU’s ambition to forge ‘ever-closer union’. In theory, this would mean more powers for individual countries to block legislation from Brussels. The issue of contention is largely centred on whether the British provision for this is enshrined in law – making an assurance that ‘ever-closer union’ won’t apply to the UK mean more than just warm words.
Comments