Brussels, 14/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - At a mini-plenary session of the European Parliament on Wednesday 14 October, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said that “considerable progress” had been made in discussions at technical level at the European Council and within the Commission with the British authorities regarding negotiations ahead of the referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the EU.
“Nothing is decided upon until everything is decided upon, it takes two to tango, and our British friends have to join in the dance”, he continued. The same day, several delegations said that exploratory discussions had gone as far as they could and that it was now for the British to state their demands, specifically and exhaustively, in order to move to the negotiation phase.
The United Kingdom is hoping for a serious and substantial discussion at the European summit of December. “We can move to another stage in the process, but it has to be on the basis of an exhaustive wish list; there is not much time left, if we wish to conclude in December”. Other delegations had no confidence in this timetable, and thought that March of next year was more realistic. The United Kingdom believes that the deadline will depend on the substance and that it will take “as long as it takes”. The summit is expected to provide the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, with the opportunity to provide clarifications on the process.
The issues discussed at technical level include questions related to the principle of an 'ever closer Union', the place of the national parliaments, the treatment of non-eurozone countries, competitiveness, the 'working time' directive and abuse of the welfare state. (Original version in French by Elodie Lamer)