EU negotiation: Cameron vows to 'battle hard for Britain' in showdown talks as demands are described as 'unacceptable'
David Cameron has said he will "battle hard for Britain" through the night during EU renegotiation talks in Brussels, despite being warned his demands are "unacceptable" ahead of the showdown talks.
Mr Cameron is meeting with the other 27 European leaders to push for four changes before the EU referendum in 2017 - and has conceded that a deal is unlikely this week.
His first three proposals are:
An end to the binding principle of an 'ever closer union'
Greater competitiveness and less red tape
Protection for countries which don't use the Euro
But it is his fourth proposal to ban migrant workers from receiving benefits until they have been in Britain for four years which is his main sticking point.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has already warned she will not allow discrimination against migrants, while EC President Donald Tusk said some parts of Mr Cameron's proposals seemed "unacceptable".
A number of eastern European states have also indicated they would veto such a plan as discriminatory and breaching the EU principle of free movement of labour.
Cameron has signalled he is willing to consider other proposals that would help reduce migration.
A senior UK official said although there were "murmurings" of alternatives - such as an "emergency brake" mechanism for when inflows increased sharply - the four-year benefit ban was as yet the only option formally on the table.
The leaders are not expected to reach a final deal at this two-day summit, but Mr Cameron and Mr Tusk are hoping to "pave the way" for an agreement at the next gathering in February.
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU is seeking a fair deal that will solved complicated questions over the future of Britain's membership.
"We'll enter the concrete and vital phase of negotiations with our British colleagues", he said.
The Commission is ready to look for other options than the single one proposed by the British prime minister and I'm quite convinced that we will find a solution to that highly complicated question", he added.