Brussels, 16/10/2105 (Agence Europe) - Upon his arrival at the European summit on Thursday 15 October, British Prime Minister David Cameron responded to the impatience of his European colleagues by promising to set out his demands in writing, in early November, for the future negotiations on the relationship between the UK and the EU, before the British referendum can be held on the UK's continued membership of the EU (see EUROPE 11410).
“The pace will now quicken, setting out vital areas where we need changes. I'll be laying out what these will be at the start of November”, ahead of the European Council in December, Cameron said as he arrived at the summit. “I'm confident we can get a good deal, that we can fix things that need to be fixed”, he added. In the days leading up to this summit, several member states had expressed a certain impatience at the lack of clarity on the British position. According to several sources, the exploratory phase of technical discussions between the UK, on the one hand, and the European Commission and Council of the EU, on the other, has reached its limits. One diplomat said that there was some concern about a “high risk strategy” from Cameron.
European Council President Donald Tusk welcomed Cameron's commitment to set out his demands. “Then real negotiations can start”, he said. On Thursday, Cameron had lunch with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. He also held discussions with his French and German counterparts on the sidelines of the summit. More substantial debate will take place when they meet in December. (Original version in French by Elodie Lamer)