Cameron bows to EU pressure to spell out British demands

British prime minister David Cameron bowed to pressure yesterday as he pledged to set out the UK's's demands on EU membership in the coming weeks, amid mounting criticism from Brussels about the lack of clarity from London in advance of a referendum on EU membership.

In Brussels yesterday the British leader said he would lay out Britain’s demands at the start of November. The pace of negotiations would then “quicken” in the run-up to the next EU summit on December 17th and 18th he said.

It follows criticisms from EU officials and national capitals that Britain has not set out in detail its proposed changes for a renegotiated relationship with the EU.

Before the summit, Mr Cameron said: “I’m confident we can get a good deal for Britain, fix those things that need to be fixed and I’m confident that this process is well under way and making good progress.”

Senior EU officials said Mr Cameron’s announcement was “extremely welcome” and would allow the process to move forward.

But by spelling out Britain’s demands in the coming weeks, Mr Cameron risks a push-back from eurosceptic MPs who are likely to be unhappy with the scope of Britain’s proposed changes.

Election victory

Five months after the Conservative Party’s decisive general election victory, Mr Cameron is facing increasing pressure from Tory backbenchers to secure significant concessions from Brussels.

In Brussels, Minister for European Affairs Dara Murphy said it was important that Britain produce written proposals, adding that Ireland would be particularly supportive of British requests in the sphere of competitiveness and economic governance.

Mr Murphy, who travels to London for talks with Britain's Europe minister David Lidington next Friday, expressed confidence that changes could be achieved without changes to the EU treaties. "We are of the belief that there is significant latitude within the existing treaties to improve the European Union, " he said.

Postponed

Sources said Mr Cameron briefly updated EU leaders on the progress of Britain’s negotiations at yesterday’s summit, but a substantive discussion on the issue was postponed until December.

Technical negotiations between British officials in Brussels, senior EU advisers in Number 10 and officials in the European Commission and European Council on legal and technical avenues open to Britain have intensified since July.

The British government has outlined four general areas where it is seeking changes – an exemption from the EU’s principle of “ever-closer union”, a distinction between euro area countries and non-euro countries, a reduction in red-tape and bureaucracy and, most controversially, changes to the welfare system for non-British citizens.

A proposal to allow national governments to block EU legislation through a “red card” system is also believed to be on the table, though is likely to prove difficult to attain.

Formalising the negotiations by December could pave the way for a referendum next summer or autumn 2016, though negotiations could continue into early next year.