Prior to the "in/out" referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union, Prime Minister David Cameron promised first to attempt to negotiate a "new settlement" for the UK within the EU, "with the single market at its heart". The Prime Minister’s proposals for reform were published in a letter to European Council president Donald Tusk on 10 November 2015. Those proposals were the starting point for negotiations which were finalised at a European Council summit on 18-19 February 2016.
This is the third in a series of briefings covering the essential aspects of the UK’s referendum on EU membership, which has been called for Thursday 23 June 2016. This edition discusses the reform package agreed upon at the recent European Council summit, the extent of the Prime Minister’s success in achieving his proposals for reform, and how this may affect the outcome of the referendum.