Eurogroup chief Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday he hoped Britain would not stand in the way of a solid response to the euro zone debt crisis when leaders meet to consider treaty changes and other measures on Thursday night and Friday, Reuters reported. Speaking on French state radio, Juncker, who chairs meetings of finance ministers from the euro zone, said the euro was not under threat but EU governments had to come up with a response that stemmed the debt crisis. Juncker said Britain, considered a reluctant partner in the drive to tighten up financial sector regulation, should not be allowed to stand in the way of treaty changes and other measures needed to address the crisis that has engulfed the euro area. "There has to be a deal," he told France Info radio, adding regarding the currency shared by 17 countries, "The euro itself ... is in no way at risk." "We need a solid agreement. I would like a treaty deal that commits the 27 (EU member countries) but if it turned out that there were countries among the 27 unwilling to go along with us ... we will do it with 17 (euro zone countries)," he said. "I don't want the United Kingdom setting aside entire pages to say the United Kingdom will not do what all the others have to do. I will not accept that," he said, citing specifically the need to tighten financial sector regulation. EU leaders meet for a working dinner in Brussels on Thursday evening before a formal summit meeting on Friday where the leaders of France and Germany are proposing a package of reforms to tighten up on fiscal discipline and governance of the euro zone. Juncker is prime minister of Luxembourg. -- SPA
