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Cameron, Merkel united on EU immigrant welfare abuse

07 January 2015, 22:01 CET
Cameron, Merkel united on EU immigrant welfare abuse

Merkel - Cameron - Photo EU Council

(LONDON) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday that EU countries needed to address abuse of the freedom of movement between member states, as she sought common ground with Britain's David Cameron.

Merkel held talks with the British prime minister at his Downing Street office in London, where they agreed the European Union's keystone principle of freedom of movement was sacrosanct.

However, she said abuse of welfare entitlements needed to be examined so the principle could prevail.

Cameron is pushing for a series of EU reforms as he bids to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the bloc, then hold a referendum on the outcome.

"As David quite rightly said, we have no doubt about the principle of freedom of movement being in any way questioned but we also have to look at abuse of that," Merkel told a Downing Street joint press conference.

"We are looking at legislation here, we want to see how this plays out at a local level.

"Abuses need to be fought against so that freedom of movement can prevail.

"One has to take a very close look at the social security systems of individual member states -- which are not, after all, part of communal law -- to what extent they have to be adjusted.

"In each and every member state there's a necessity to address this issue."

Cameron wants to curb the influx of EU immigrants to Britain ahead of his proposed renegotiation and referendum by the end of 2017 -- subject to him remaining prime minister after the May general election.

In November, he outlined plans to curb welfare payments for EU migrants to try to stop them coming to Britain but admitted this would require a revision of EU treaties, with all the upheaval that could bring to EU capitals.

"I support freedom of movement but what I don't support is the abuse of freedom of movement and that is what we need to change," Cameron said Wednesday.

He said immigrants should not be able to claim unemployment benefit for four years.

He wants Britons to vote to stay in a reformed EU but said "if it isn't possible to achieve these things, I rule nothing out".

Both conservative leaders used the phrase "Where there's a will, there's a way" as they described their efforts to find common ground.

Merkel's day trip to London is part of a tour of foreign capitals intended to pave the way for the G7 summit in Bavaria in June 7 and 8.

The meeting was dominated by the massacre at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Both leaders received a briefing from the British intelligence services, while Merkel said it was a "very moving moment" when they spoke to French President Francois Hollande together.

"At this very desperate hour, we stand by the French people," she said.


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