Barroso rejects Blair's call for more opt-outs from treaty

Pressure mounted on Tony Blair not to block agreement on a new "mini-treaty" for the European Union when he attends his final summit of EU leaders starting tomorrow. The European Commission and other member states called on Britain not to be the stumbling block to a deal and called on Mr Blair to compromise. Although Poland may scupper agreement in a row over the voting power of the EU's 27 members, Britain could be left isolated if the dispute over voting rights can be resolved.

Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President, appealed to Britain and Poland not to kill off plans to revive a slimmed down version of the EU constitution rejected by referendums in France and the Netherlands two years ago. He urged Mr Blair not to play to the domestic gallery after the Prime Minister said on Monday he would not cross four key "red lines" on foreign policy, tax and social security, criminal justice and a Charter of Fundamental Rights enshrining the right to strike.

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Mr Barroso said Britain's calls for more opt-outs from key policies risked undermining EU unity. "The opt-out cannot be the rule, it must not be the rule. If we accept opt-outs and opt-ins as the rule, in the end we would no longer have a Union," he said. An "à la carte" Europe, with "exceptions and exemptions" for various member states was not possible.

Urging London and Warsaw to back down, he said: "Try to be constructive; all member states defend their positions, but don't come with this 'red line' and veto," he said. "These are not the proper words for a Union that wants to deliver." But he insisted agreement was possible at the Brussels summit.

Other EU members expressed concern over Britain's tactics, especially its attempt to limit the role of a new EU foreign minister. Alberto Navarro, the Spanish Minister for Europe, was "profoundly, profoundly shocked" that Britain had tried to reopen discussions on the substance of the treaty. "What we need to know is why the UK Government, which two years ago was so supportive of this treaty, was even presenting it as the patriotic case for the constitution - what now are the difficulties they have encountered?" he said.

Last night Mr Blair tried to pave the way for an agreement in a telephone conference with Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President. Gordon Brown, who will take over as Prime Minister a week today, also took part, although he was not in the same room as Mr Blair.

Mr Brown, who will not attend the summit, told GMTV he had been kept up to date on progress by Mr Blair. Asked if he would hold a referendum on the EU treaty, he replied: "If it were necessary", but added: "The question is, 'can we get the best deal for Britain?' and I suspect that the best deal for Britain will be won, where we will get what we want at this summit. Of course, it is a matter of negotiation and compromise and other things, but I think we will get what we need." Last week, Downing Street ruled out a referendum. But yesterday Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, joined Mr Brown in leaving the door open to a public vote.

She told a Commons committee that Britain could only take a view on that when it saw what was in the new treaty. "That seems to me the only sane way to approach it," she said.

But Mr Blair's official spokesman said: "We will not agree a deal that crosses the red lines. Therefore we do not believe a referendum will be necessary."