What Britain is demanding from the EU to avoid 'Brexit'

LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday outlined his demands for EU reform, ahead of a referendum on Britain's membership in the 28-member bloc to be held by 2017.



Here are the key points, taken from a letter from Cameron to European Council President Donald Tusk:

* Cameron wants legally-binding guarantees that the 19 EU members who use the euro currency will not club together and force decisions on Britain that affect its economy.

These include decisions over the EU's single market, banking regulation and financial stability supervision. He also wants non-euro states to be exempt from paying to stabilise the euro.

* The British premier wants to cut what he sees as excessive EU regulation and bureaucracy to boost growth.



"For all we have achieved in stemming the flow of new regulations, the burden from existing regulation is still too high. So the United Kingdom would like to see a target to cut the total burden on business."

* Cameron wants Britain to be exempt from the EU goal of closer union, and to enhance the powers of national parliaments by allowing them to club together to block EU rules.

He also wants guarantees Britain will preserve its previously-negotiated right to opt out of future EU legislation governing justice and home affairs issues.



* The British leader also wants to reduce migration from the EU into Britain by removing the right to freedom of movement for nationals of new EU member states until their economies have "converged much more closely" with those of existing members.

He also wants to limit in-work benefits -- welfare payments usually paid to those on low incomes -- and social housing to EU migrants who "live here and contribute for four years".