Cameron Tells EU Chief Europe Must Change

David Cameron has started his European renegotiation talks by telling the EU Commission president that Britain will no longer accept the "status quo".

The Prime Minister pleaded with Jean-Claude Juncker that the EU "needs to change" over a dinner of spring salad and pork belly at Chequers.

Downing Street said Mr Juncker had insisted he would "seek to help" with the renegotiation.

It comes as a leaked document shows that Germany and France are drawing up plans to further integrate the Eurozone countries without treaty change – a move that may be seen as a blow to Mr Cameron.

The Prime Minister wants to convince the 27 other member states that the EU should not become an ever closer political union and there should be protections for non-Eurozone countries.

He also wants to persuade them to sign up to sweeping change to welfare - limiting migrants' access to benefits for four years – that Mr Cameron believes will require treaty change.

He plans to meet all other 27 EU leaders before the EU council meeting in June.

"The Prime Minister underlined that the British people are not happy with the status quo and believe that the EU needs to change in order to better address their concerns," a Number 10 spokeswoman said of last night’s dinner.

"Mr Juncker reiterated that he wanted to find a fair deal for the UK and would seek to help.

"They talked through the issue at some length in the spirit of finding solutions to these problems.

"They agreed that more discussion would be needed, including with other leaders, on the best way forward."

Less than a year ago, Mr Cameron had sought to block Mr Junker's appointment to the EU top job by saying it was a "serious mistake".

But as he sought to build bridges with the Brussels chief, who could play a pivotal role in the negotiating process, Mr Cameron gave Mr Juncker a tour of the historic Buckinghamshire retreat and showed him Winston Churchill's brandy glass.

"Think of 'we'll fight them on the beaches'," he told Mr Juncker of the room where the wartime leader was said to have composed some of his most famous speeches, before they sat down for a dinner of pork belly, bacon and seasonal vegetables.

Mr Cameron will embark on a tour of five European capitals later this week to hold talks with key EU leaders over his reform plans.

He will travel first to Denmark for a working breakfast with Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt on Thursday before heading to the Netherlands for talks with Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

He will have dinner with French President Francois Hollande at the Elysee palace in Paris.

On Friday, Mr Cameron will meet Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz in Warsaw and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

The document leaked to French newspaper Le Monde said France and Germany were preparing to unveil a deal at next month’s council meeting.

It suggests a move towards deepening integration between the countries using the single currency can be achieved within the constraints of the existing treaties, reducing the prospect of using treaty change to repatriate powers to London.

Mr Juncker has made clear his opposition to reopening the treaties.

Earlier on Monday, Mr Cameron's Government said most citizens of other EU countries living in Britain will not get to vote in the referendum.

The Government will introduce its EU referendum legislation to Parliament on Thursday.