Brussels, 16/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - European Union heads of state will take advantage of the summit in Brussels on Thursday 17 December to discuss the United Kingdom's conditions for it remaining in the EU.
The final settlement of this issue is still expected to emerge at the European Summit in February 2016, although some people are already saying that several summits will be required to strike a compromise on the four British demands (see EUROPE 11428).
At the European leaders' summit on Thursday, the debate is expected to focus on the main area of dispute with London, namely social security for European immigrants (see EUROPE 11447). This at least is the desire of the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and some of the member states. Ahead of the talks, the British prime minister, David Cameron, mooted another way of dealing with this demand, feeling the hostility of some member states and the European institutions (see EUROPE 11453).
A diplomat said it was important for David Cameron to hear for himself that the objections to some of his proposals are real. Alongside legal objections, it is important that political objections are expressed, he said. In the light of this resistance to this particular demand, Cameron may respond that he can't see any other alternative to the ones he has put forward for achieving the same objective. A diplomat said it was possible and likely that he will call for a change to the treaty.
Several member states have the objective of demonstrating their willingness to listen to London's demands, but at the same time, the United Kingdom has to be given clarity and not sidetracked, illustrating the subtle balancing act the EU is bracing itself for
On the British request for the integration of the eurozone and relations with non-euro countries, a number of approaches will be discussed, including the idea of a mechanism to temporarily halt a Eurogroup decision that could damage the interests of the Single Market.
Another diplomat said that when it comes to changing the treaties, the drafting of a political statement is being mooted, in which the Council would commit to making the requested changes the next time a new country joins the EU. The British prime minister is reported to not be in agreement with this approach. (Original version in French by Elodie Lamer, with Camille-Cerise Gessant and Jan Kordys)