EC President Quite Confident to Reach Deal With Britain on EU Membership

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that he is convinced that Britain will be a constructive and active member of the European Union.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday said he was “quite confident” that Great Britain would remain an active member of the European Union.

On February 18-19, the leaders of the 28 EU member states are expected to meet in Brussels to discuss an agreement with the United Kingdom on its future in the European Union, among other issues.

“I’m quite confident that we will have a deal during this European Council. We have to sort out a certain number of questions [that were mentioned] and I’m convinced that Britain will be a constructive and active member of the European Union,” Juncker said at a joint press conference with European Parliament President Martin Schulz.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to hold a referendum on the issue as part of his party’s campaign in the run up to the general elections in May 2015. Cameron is seeking to revise the terms of his country's membership of the bloc ahead of the vote, having outlined his demands, which center on four key issues, to Brussels.

On February 2, European Council President Donald Tusk proposed a settlement plan for the United Kingdom in response to Cameron's demands. The settlement, which includes a proposals in areas of economic governance, competitiveness, sovereignty, social benefits and free movement, is expected to be the key topic of discussion at the upcoming summit.