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Cameron’s Four EU Reform Goals

11 November 2015

By Lauren E. White

The Prime Minister David Cameron has set out four main goals he wishes to achieve before the 2017 EU referendum goes ahead.

Speaking about the referendum, he said that Britain faced a “huge decision” on whether it wants to stay in or leave the European Union after controversial views over the lack of freedom the country has over its own laws and immigration. However, the PM did say he was confident of getting what he wanted from reform talks.

Mr Cameron set out his demands in a formal letter to the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, claiming he had four objectives at the epicentre of the renegotiations:

1. Protection of the single market for Britain

The PM wants to preserve the association of countries trading with each other without the restrictions or tariffs that came into effect in January 1993.

2. Boosting the level of competition by setting a target for the reduction of the “burden” of red tape

Currently, the excessive levels of bureaucracy are becoming a “burden” to Britain in Mr Cameron’s eyes and he wants to reduce the level of it in the reforms.

3. Excluding Britain from the “ever-closer” union and imminent national parliaments

Britain does not want to become even more included in the EU and opposes the idea of British laws handled outside of Britain and, consequently, Mr Cameron has outlined this in his letter.

4. Restricting EU migrants’ access to in-work benefits like tax credits

After the rise of UKIP in the General Election in May, politicians (Cameron included) have been forced to accept that the majority of the public don’t agree with EU migrants working in the UK while claiming benefits such as tax credits.

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