EU negotiators are set to thrash out a deal on the UK's future membership as talks continue following a flurry of meetings over the weekend between British Prime Minister David Cameron and EU leaders.
Cameron held hastily convened talks in Brussels on Friday with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, following the emergence of a possible face-saving "emergency brake" deal that would fulfil the British Prime Minister's key EU renegotiation demands on limiting benefits to EU nationals working in the UK.
Significantly, Cameron made time to consult with all three of the so-called "EU Presidents" over the weekend, welcoming European Council President Donald Tusk to Downing Street on Sunday. The talks with Tusk ended positively with both parties agreeing to further "intensive work" today before making a decision on whether to table a draft negotiation text to EU leaders ahead of their upcoming 18-19 February summit.
Despite the emergence of French concerns that a deal could give Britain, a non-euro member, a veto over Eurozone decisions, sources within the Prime Minister's office called the Tusk-Cameron discussions a "breakthrough".
Following their two hour meeting, Cameron tweeted that the two leaders had agreed to continue the negotiations through Monday.
More bluntly, Tusk tweeted that there was "intensive work" needed.
However even Eurosceptic MEPs conceded that the momentum was moving towards a deal, with British Conservative MEP, David Campbell Bannerman saying he would be "amazed" if an agreement wasn't reached.
Fellow Eurosceptic, UKip deputy Roger Helmer, said the discussions over a so called "emergency brake" was "pantomime negotiation" and accused David Cameron of creating "deliberately deceptive nonsense".
Meanwhile a survey of David Cameron's fellow parliamentarians highlights that 20 per cent of British Conservative MPs intend to vote for a Brexit irrespective of whether the Prime Minister secures a deal.
With Britain's pro-Brexit campaign groups struggling to find a unified position Cameron is keen to move forward with a speedy deal, to be officially approved at next month's EU summit on 18-19 February, which would pave the way for a potential British in-out referendum in June.