Reacting to the speech by David Cameron on the UK's relationship with the European Union, co-president of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament Dany Cohn-Bendit said:

 

"It is clearly up to UK citizens to decide whether or not they want to remain in the European Union but David Cameron cannot be allowed to blackmail the EU with his threat of this hokey-cokey referendum. The EU cannot function as a Swiss cheese, riddled with opt-outs and exemptions.

 

"The long timeframe for the referendum also creates the potential for massive disruption in the working of the EU. We cannot have up to five years of EU summits and council meetings blocked or hamstrung by attempts to extort opt-outs and exemptions on the basis of this long-looming referendum."

 

Greens/EFA co-president Rebecca Harms added:

"Cameron wants the status of being in the EU without really belonging in the EU. His vision of the EU as a free trade club is an outdated concept that is completely at odds with the challenges of the 21st Century.

 

"There are also clearly implications for the UK's component nations, which cannot simply be glossed over."

 

 

Richard More O'Ferrall,

Press and media officer,

Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament

Mobile: +32-477-443842 - Ph. +32-22841669 (Brussels); +33-388174042

www.greens-efa.eu - http://twitter.com/GreensEP