|
 The proposals, which addressed all four areas where Cameron has
demanded reform, did little to ease doubts among his more
Eurosceptic lawmakers and even some of the prime minister's closest
allies wondered out loud if the package -- which must still be
agreed by other EU states -- would be enough.
The two sides have been locked in talks trying to find a way for
Cameron to win what he calls the "best deal possible" for Britain
while keeping other EU states onboard before a referendum which
could take place as early as in June.
Tusk's text said Britain could immediately suspend welfare payments
to EU migrants for four years if Britons voted to stay in the bloc
and could, alongside other countries, have new powers to block
legislation. Britain could also opt out of further political
integration in the 28-member bloc.
But with Eurosceptics describing the talks as "trivial" and some of
Cameron's allies saying the proposals would probably need more work,
a summit of EU leaders on Feb. 18-19 was gearing up to be a
difficult meeting.
 Cameron said in a Tweet: "Draft EU renegotiation document shows real
progress in all four areas where UK needs change but there's more
work to do."
A British government source also issued a note of caution that
although many boxes were ticked, any deal needed all 28 EU leaders
to sign up.
"For many others (the other 27 member states) we are at the start of
the negotiations rather than at the end of it," the source said.
"Nothing is agreed until all 28 member states are on board."
Nonetheless, sterling jumped by almost half a U.S. cent after the
outline of the proposed deal was released. The pound rose to
$1.4425, up from $1.4380 beforehand.
Officials are keen to show Cameron has won agreement with Tusk on
two important areas of the renegotiation - on stopping EU
legislation it opposes and on curbing migrants' benefits.
"NOT ENOUGH"
In the text, Tusk's proposal would have a legally binding provision
allowing a group of 55 percent or more member states to either stop
EU legislation or demand changes to address concerns Britain has
handed too much power to Brussels.
It also included a clause saying Britain could suspend some payments
to migrants from the bloc for four years, starting immediately after
the referendum, after meeting the conditions to trigger a so-called
'emergency brake'.
Both should go some way to appeasing critics of EU membership in
Cameron's party, although even an ally, London Mayor Boris Johnson,
said he doubted the deal would be enough.
"I do think that the prime minister has been negotiating very hard
and obviously very successfully but my view would be 'not enough'
and we need to go further," he told Sky News.
[to top of second column] |
As well as curbing migration and returning powers to Britain,
Cameron also wants his country excluded from the EU goal of "ever
closer union" and says it should be protected against moves by the
19 countries that share the euro currency to impose rules by
majority vote on London.
There is much still to decide, including how long the so-called
"emergency brake", or suspension, on welfare payments to migrants
will be in force and how to enforce protection for London's
financial industry.
Talks will continue up to the February summit, but some Eurosceptics
say the difficulties in getting a deal are being played up to make
an eventual agreement seem like a triumph.
The stakes are high. The referendum will not only determine
Britain's future role in world trade and affairs, but also shape the
European Union, which has struggled to maintain unity over migration
and financial crises, by ripping away its second-largest economy and
one of its two main military powers.
"STRONGER IN"
Britain's pro-EU campaign welcomed the proposals.
"These reforms would be good for Britain. With the changes set out
today, Britain would be even stronger in Europe," Stuart Rose, chair
of Stronger In, said in a statement.
But Eurosceptics were not convinced.
"What the government is asking for from the EU is trivial. These
proposals will not take back control from the EU," said Matthew
Elliott, chief executive of Vote Leave, one campaign lobbying for
Britain to exit the European Union.
"These gimmicks have been ignored by the EU before and will be
ignored again as they will not be in the EU treaty."
Britain's influential press, like the population, are split over the
EU debate.
While the Daily Mail, Britain's second best-selling newspaper, asked
on its front page: "Is that it then, Mr Cameron?", the right-wing
broadsheet, the Telegraph, has been more supportive of Cameron's
renegotiation.
But perhaps more telling were the words of Britain's most powerful
media owner, Rupert Murdoch, on Twitter: "UK-EU negotiations
meaningless without complete control of borders."
(Additional reporting by Guy Faulconbridge in Rome, Michael Holden
in London, Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels and William James in
London; Writing by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Mark John)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
