PM promises "positive role" in Europe
The Prime Minister has promised that Great Britain will play "a very positive, a very engaged, a very active role" in the EU Council.
Speaking during a press conference with EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, the PM said there was agreement on the key issue of encouraging economic confidence by dealing with the public finances.
Mr Cameron also welcomed President Barroso’s commitment to an EU that is focused on “issues of substance” rather than on institutional reform.
The PM said:
You will see Britain playing a very positive, a very engaged, a very active role in the European Union and at this European Council…
We have a very strong and positive agenda; an agenda about dealing with deficits, as we are doing in our own country and we’ll be taking further action in our Budget next week. And a very positive agenda in terms of Europe on the world stage, in terms of making sure we have a strong package of sanctions against Iran, something that is going to be dealt with today and that we believe is incredibly important.
President Barroso paid tribute to the government’s economic steps saying he firmly believes the UK has a “crucial role” to play in Europe, with “a positive agenda for reform”.