EU referendum: What Jean-Claude Juncker and other business figures have said ahead of tonight’s EU negotiation summit dinner
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said morning that the EU was looking for a "fair deal" with Britain, just ahead of Prime Minister David Cameron's two-day meeting with leaders, including a summit dinner tonight.
& @JunckerEU "We want a fair deal with Britain and it has to be a fair deal for the other 27 too"
— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) December 17, 2015
Juncker told reporters from Reuters that the group will "enter the concrete and vital phase of negotiations with our British colleagues".
"The Commission is ready to look for other options than the single one proposed by the British prime minister and I'm quite convinced that we will find a solution to that highly complicated question."
Earlier this morning, key business groups the British Chambers of Commerce and Confederation of British Industry warned that tonight's EU summit dinner could be a make-or-break moment in the Prime Minister's renegotiation efforts.
Read more: Business to Cameron: EU summit could be tipping point
However, those hoping any agreement will be particularly signed and sealed tonight could find themselves disappointed. The Financial Times' Peter Spiegel tweeted early afternoon that Cameron had remarked "we're not pushing for a deal tonight, but we're pushing for real momentum" as he entered the EU summit building.
"We're not pushing for a deal tonight, but we're pushing for real momentum," says @David_Cameron as he walks into #EU summit bldg.
— Peter Spiegel (@SpiegelPeter) December 17, 2015
Earlier this week, bookmaker Ladbrokes pegged the odds of Britain parting ways with the EU at their highest ever, dropping down to 11/8.