EU deal talks set to resume

European Council president Donald Tusk has said that ‘some progress’ was made yesterday, but ‘a lot remains to be done’.

Following a working dinner on the migration crisis, face to face talks on the deal resumed and Mr Cameron was seen to leave at 5.30 without making a statement.

Discussions last night were between Mr Tusk and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and key players including President François Hollande as well as the leaders of Belgium and the Czech Republic.

Mr Cameron is now understood to be already back in discussions with individual leaders, before the official negotiations resume around a brunch in a final bid to find a compromise between the 28 leaders of the EU states. A proposal to start them over an ‘English breakfast’ at 9.00 was abandoned.

German chancellor Angela Merkel has said that an agreement will not be easy, but “good will is there” and that they are ready to make compromises “because the advantages are higher than disadvantages”.

Remaining sticking points are said to have included, as expected, the idea of an ‘emergency brake’ on in-work benefits for migrants in the first years and which states can apply the policy and for how long. Some sources say Cameron has been asking for limits on benefits to be able to last at least seven years.

France is also understood to want a guarantee that the UK will not be able to block measures concerning the euro zone and to oppose allowing special financial regulations for the UK, which it thinks could allow it a competitive advantage.

Le Monde says Cameron is seeking an agreement that a single country, if it is not satisfied with a decision by the euro zone, should be able to change the agenda of the European Council so as to discuss it. France, meanwhile, is said to believe that this right should only apply where several countries call for this.

The Belgians reportedly are resistant to the idea of changes being made to the EU treaties to include Cameron’s ideas, as well as to his wish to water down the principle of ‘ever-closer union’.

Several central European countries are said to oppose to the idea of making retroactive a reduction in child benefits to migrants with children in countries with a lower cost of living.

Mr Cameron will be hoping to finalise a deal today and if he does he will return to London to hold an emergency cabinet meeting.

If he does not, then talks may continue at further summits. It is thought that an emergency one could be scheduled before the end of the month. Otherwise, the next planned EU summit will be on March 17.