EU, British officials upbeat about getting EU reform deal

BRUSSELS – European Union and British top officials are upbeat about finding a deal next month on essential reforms the EU should push through if it wants to keep Britain from moving toward an exit from the bloc.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday that he is "quite sure" a deal will be brokered at the Feb. 18-19 summit in Brussels, which will allow Prime Minister David Cameron to call for a referendum on continued British EU membership as soon as next summer.

British Treasury chief George Osborne said the "essential pieces" of a deal with the 27 other EU member states were falling into place and he was confident that Britain would achieve its goals of getting enough reform to argue for continued membership.