British PM Rejects 'Inappropriate' Brussels Criticism
British Prime Minister David Cameron has warned Brussels it was "totally inappropriate" for unelected EU officials to criticize his plans to restrict migrants' rights to unemployment benefits.
Cameron complained to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso late Thursday at a summit in Lithuania about remarks made by EU Employment Commissioner Lazlo Andor.
"I raised Commissioner Andor's comments with @BarrosoEU -- totally inappropriate for unelected officials to complain about legitimate concerns," the prime minister tweeted.
A spokesman for Cameron's Downing Street office added: "When elected European leaders are raising real and substantive concerns about an issue affecting people, it is not for officials to dismiss those without any discussion."
Cameron announced his plans on Wednesday in response to growing concerns in Britain about the expected influx of Romanian and Bulgarian workers when restrictions on their movement across the European Union are lifted on January 1.
He said EU migrants would not receive unemployment benefits until three months after arriving in Britain, and then only for six months, while migrants found to be begging or homeless will be removed and barred for returning for a year.
Andor said the proposals were "an unfortunate over-reaction" and followed "hysteria" about immigration in Britain, which he said risked being seen as the "nasty" country of Europe.
The 28 EU commissioners are appointed to their positions, not elected, subject to the approval of the European Parliament.
Cameron also called for more permanent limits on the free movement of labor, seen as one of the fundamental principles of the EU single market, to stop "vast migrations" of workers from poor, new members to other parts of the bloc.
He set out his proposals to fellow EU leaders over dinner in Vilnius on Thursday night, Downing Street said, while reiterating Britain's support for future EU enlargement.
Source: Agence France Presse
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