CCTV9英语新闻：英国将重新加入欧盟

It's pressing for the new British government to renegotiate its membership in the European Union and is planning to hold a referendum on the issue in 2017.

 

A referendum on Britain's membership in the European Union is pencilled in for 2017. German and French elections that year have led to speculation about the UK moving forward to avoid a clash.

 

However, British Finance Minister George Osborne and Prime Minister David Cameron have a long list of demands to wade through first.

 

''We know he wants to possibly have a red card for national parliaments to block some EU legislation. We know he wants safeguards for non-euro zone states as the euro zone integrates more closely. We know he wants a deal on access to benefits for EU migrants, and we know he wants something on reducing the EU budget," said Raoul Ruparel of the Open Europe Think Tank.

 

The price the EU would pay if it doesn't make concessions: the UK government would, it's been hinted, campaign for a 'NO' to staying in Europe.

 

A possible UK exit from the EU - or 'Brexit' - is a prospect that scares even Germany. And other member states are said to support the UK on other issues - such as reform of EU institutions.

 

Where there's little or no support is on the biggest issue on the UK's list: freedom of movement for EU migrants - which could mean treaty changes.

 

''This is a big issue, and it's the issue that has quite a lot of popular support, to see some limitation on that. But it's a fundamental principle of the Treaty of Rome and of the EU as a result, and that's going to be a very interesting dichotomy for Cameron to resolve. He's in a very tight spot on that one, I think,'' said Peter Hemington,  partner at advisory firm BDO.

 

It's a spot that could also put Osborne and Cameron in conflict with the euro-sceptic right wing of their own party. That's something they know from their own party's history that could lead to a potentially fatal split.