But differences did emerge. Once again over plans to please the debt inside the eurozone. The Czech Republic joining the United Kingdom in refusing to sign the so-called fiscal compact. But some detected a softening in the British stance after wielding its veto last December. 

        Not so, said the Prime Minister, the UK would continue to ensure its interests weren’t affected by the agreement.         

        “There isn't a Brussels EU treaty, because I vetoed it. It doesn’t exist. They had to make a treaty outside the EU. They always that they preferred to have inside the EU which is why they are already talking about trying to bring it back inside the EU. So I’d argued the veto doesn’t matter. It seems to me to be resolved. We’re not in this treaty, we’re not part of it, we’re not bounded by. We don’t have to ratify. We don’t take it to the British Parliament. That is what the veto secures you.” 

        But flash points clearly remain although Britain won’t buy EU institutions like the European Court of Justice for enforcing the compact, it still has legal concerns. France doesn’t. 

        “Stage by stage we're giving legal form to the agreement we’ve reached. And that’s agreement, the European Court of Justice could not cancel the budget. It can simply check that the golden role is abided by as adopted by individual states.” 

        Angela Merkel believes the UK will eventually come to support the compact.

        “We use the opportunity that we still have for this compact and with the firm intention that at the very latest of the 5 years. This will be translated into a formal EU treaty and that confident we'll be able to do that.”

        Greece, the real frontline in this crisis barely got a mention, but plans to out of the eurozone architecture are moving slowly forward, and this time without the ranker. 

        Robert Nisbet, Sky News, Brussels.