German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told reporters his country wanted Britain `` to remain an active and constructive part of the European Union '' and warned against `` cherry-picking . '' UK President David Cameron promises to hold a referendum on EU membership by 2017 . French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Europe can not be ` ` a la carte '' Germany is against ` ` cherry - picking '' . Europeans are in the same boat . U.S. President Barack Obama had told Cameron the U.S. valued the UK 's place in the EU .
UK President David Cameron promises to hold a referendum on EU membership by 2017 . French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Europe can not be ` ` a la carte '' Germany is against ` ` cherry - picking '' . Europeans are in the same boat . U.S. President Barack Obama had told Cameron the U.S. valued the UK 's place in the EU .