Talks on Brexit document just the beginning for David Cameron
DAVID Cameron and the EU have just a few hours to be all things to all people — producing a document that makes Britain want to remain in the EU, and keeps the rest of the member states happy too.
It was nicely summed up by an EU official who mentioned one of the paintings of the Belgian surreal artist, Rene Magritte, with the words, “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”, (this is not a pipe) under a painting of what is clearly a pipe. Titled The Treason of Images, the artist was in fact pointing to the obvious — this pipe you could not smoke.
And so the politicians, the diplomats, the lawyers, and every hand at the EU wheel must produce a perfect picture of what everyone wants, but which may or may not be used depending on the legal imperative of the nation and time involved.
The issue of workers coming from other EU countries is perhaps the most political one with Britain starting out promising to put a stop to all the spongers from other member states coming to their country and feasting on its benefits. The fact the numbers account for 4% of the population and that survey after survey shows that in fact they take less out of the system than nationals has held little sway.
And so they have come up with two main headings under which they will not be able to ban fellow Europeans from their labour market, but will handicap them by giving them fewer benefits than locals.
One element of this involves the in-work benefits — tax breaks and money — for people in low-paid jobs. This is unique to Britain and they are being told that they can pull an emergency brake and refuse to give these breaks to workers from other EU countries if their system is under pressure — which the EU has agreed it is.
Whether this will be just for newcomers and will be capable of being used for a limited period of time is such a thorny issue it’s likely only the prime ministers will decide on the numbers.
Senior EU officials say that countries that are net exporters of labour, such as Poland, are willing to allow this provided only Britain can use it.
“They are willing to allow this because they believe that Britain has a unique case here and this will not prove to be contagious and be used by other countries,” he said.
But the same cannot be said for the issue of child benefit that would be applicable to all member states, although optional for them to adopt. It would allow one EU state to index child benefit to a parent whose children are living in another EU state to the cost of living in that state. Whether this would apply to all non-national EU workers, or just newcomers for a limited number of years, will also be finalised by the heads of state and government at their summit today, Thursday, and tomorrow.
The Poles, Hungarians, Slovaks, and Czechs are all opposed, many fearing that this would be the start and before long it would be extended to other areas, such as pensions. But several countries including the Dutch and the Danes are anxious to have the option in relation to child benefits now.
Europe Minister Dara Murphy believes it could make the UK a less attractive location for other EU workers but whether Ireland would adopt the same policy could well depend on whether it would cost more to implement. Ireland has double the percentage of non-national EU workers that the UK has.
He believes that it would not affect Irish workers in Britain whose family remain in Ireland as the cost of living varies little between the two countries.
The vexed issue of sovereignty is proving to be the most fun one for the politicians. And this is causing a real Catch 22 situation. The popular Tory mayor of London Boris Johnson said his support for remaining in the EU depends on the British parliament remaining sovereign.
The “red card” available under the Lisbon Treaty being extended to force the European Commission to revise or withdraw legislation on the say of half member states’ parliaments does not quite meet this demand. Efforts to put the UK supreme court in a similar position to the German constitutional court to decide what should be and should not be EU legislation are being considered according to reports, but then that acts as a veto on member states that may want joint EU action.
The big hitters — Germany and France — are tempering Mr Cameron’s aspirations to improve the weight of the City of London and reduce the status of the euro within the EU, so he will have to make do with a promise that neither will interfere with the other.
His ambitions to destroy the idea of “ever closer union” will be subject to the brushstrokes of surrealist lawyers and diplomats, ensuring those who wish it can achieve it, but allowing the picture to remain unchanged for those who find the idea an anathema.
Mr Cameron said he is bringing three shirts to this summit — suggesting he expects it to drag on into Saturday. But even if it ends early on Friday, after a British breakfast fry for the final set of negotiations between leaders, it is just the beginning for him as he returns to London to meet with his truculent MPs, and set the date for a referendum, most likely on June 23.
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