The claims of the British Prime Minister and the terms of the agreement …
The 28 EU leaders were granted on Friday a compromise “renewing the pact” the UK with Europe . An agreement that Prime Minister David Cameron considers sufficient to recommend the maintenance of his country in the European Union at the next referendum.
But what does it contain? The main points summarizing the David Cameron claims as presented in a letter dated November 2015 European Council President Donald Tusk, and he got into a series of compromises often turned into an ambiguous diplomatic language.
I have negotiated a deal to give the UK special status in the EU. I will be recommending it to Cabinet tomorrow. Press conference shortly.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) February 19, 2016
Restrictions on social assistance to migrants
Under the immense pressure of his fellow members of his Conservative Party against the rising immigration, David Cameron wanted a four-year moratorium on EU citizens in UK applicants for aid and housing. He also wanted to prevent these migrants receiving family allowances for their children that remained abroad.
Faced with opposition from countries of Eastern Europe, Cameron got a safeguard clause on some social benefits for new migrants, thereby limiting the payments on a gradual scale. A system will also be put in place to index the child benefit to living standards of the country where the children live. This applies to new applicants but can be extended to current beneficiaries from 2020.
System of “red card”
David Cameron to meet those who care about the yoke of Brussels on British institutions, claimed to be able to escape the commitment to an “ever closer Union”, one of the pillars of European construction, so ” legally binding and irreversible. “Specifically, he called for a system of “red card” that would allow a consortium of national parliaments to veto any EU legislation.
The leader has secured an exemption for the UK on “ever closer union” which must be enshrined in the Treaties if the opportunity presented itself to their overhaul. The “red card” is present condition of a covenant of 55% of the votes allocated to national parliaments, which makes it difficult in practice. On the principle of subsidiarity, Cameron said he planned to take further action to protect British sovereignty.
Do not pay for the crisis of the euro zone
David Cameron does not want to see the status of the UK hampered by the fact that the country does not use the euro. This is a particularly sensitive area for the country, whose capital is one of the leading financial centres in the world. He asked a series of “legally binding principles” as the recognition that the EU has a number of currencies that are not members of the euro area countries must not be discriminated against and that British taxpayers should not pay for the crisis the euro area.
No veto in London for decision
British Prime Minister claims to have obtained protection for the City against any discrimination of countries using the single currency, saying that the EU recognized “for the first time” she had several currencies. But the vocabulary of the text remains vague: the institutions of the Union “will facilitate the coexistence of different perspectives.” The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker insisted that the agreement gave no veto in London for decision.
“Enhancing competitiveness”
Fewer administrative burdens, free movement of capital, goods and services: these were the Cameron demand in this area. This part was never really a problem, competitiveness is a priority of the Juncker Commission. The block was awarded to “improve competitiveness” and take “concrete steps” to advance.
