PM: I Haven't Kicked Over Tables With Demands

The Prime Minister says he had not entered renegotiation talks with the 27 leaders of EU countries by "kicking over tables".

David Cameron admitted that thrashing out a new deal for Britain with the European Union would take "tenacity and patience" but will deliver a "new and better Europe".

Speaking in Brussels after putting his case for reform to leaders he said: "As someone unkindly put it, I have eaten my way round Europe meeting 27 leaders ... I haven't kicked over tables making immediate demands."

The Prime Minister was accused of accepting a "post-dated cheque" as British officials admitted the treaty change he is demanding to reflect any new deal for Britain are unlikely to be in place by the time of the referendum.

Britons are expected to vote on the UK's continued membership of the EU in 2017 and Labour and UKIP have both said voters will have go to the polls without an absolute guarantee of changes.

Mr Cameron put his case for reform to leaders in a brief speech lasting just over eight minutes, during a short interlude to the discussion over the migration crisis, which has overshadowed the two-day summit in Brussels.

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He secured agreement for "technical" talks between UK and EU officials over the next six months on British concerns including welfare restrictions for EU migrants, an opt-out from the goal of "ever-closer union" in Europe, greater powers for national parliaments and protections for countries outside the single currency.

European Council President Donald Tusk confirmed that EU leaders will be presented with the results of the talks at a summit in December.

But he warned: "One thing should be clear from the very beginning. The fundamental values of the EU are not for sale and so are non-negotiable. We should consider British concerns, but only in a way which will be safe for all Europe."

Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn said: "All year the Prime Minister has been saying that change to the treaty was a definite requirement and yet now, faced with entirely predictable opposition from other member states, he is signalling retreat while pretending that all he ever wanted was a post-dated cheque."

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: "It sounds like a post-dated cheque. There are so many big fundamental things happening that a promissory note of some kind to Britain may well finish up not being honoured.

"Post-dated cheques can bounce and one suspects that any post-dated cheque that was given to the Brits would be given by presidents and prime ministers in office now."

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Earlier, the European Parliament's President Martin Schulz had warned there was "quite some resistance" among EU states to any changes to the treaties, which he said could take up to four years to implement.

The German said: "Solutions in the EU usually are not brought about by one member state making demands and expecting the others to deliver."

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker appeared unsure what reforms Mr Cameron was seeking, asking reporters: "What does he want?"

Belgium's finance minister Johan Van Overtveldt said a British opt-out from ever-closer union would be "not easy".

Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas told BBC Radio 4: "Treaty change would probably need referendums all around the EU and that would cause some difficulties as well."

A rancorous meeting that stretched into the small hours saw Italy's premier Matteo Renzi pitched against eastern countries including Hungary, Poland and Lithuania.

A furious Mr Renzi reportedly accused fellow member states of lacking "solidarity" over the plight of mainly Syrian and Eritrean refugees and told them: "If you don't want to take the 40,000 you are not fit to be called Europe."

The meeting ended with Mr Tusk announcing 40,000 migrants would be relocated from Italy and Greece to other EU states over the next two years, with another 20,000 resettled.

But there was no agreement on mandatory quotas for individual countries.

Britain has signalled it will not accept a mandatory quota of migrants, and its opt-out on EU home affairs matters means it is not obliged to do so.