But former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, who now sits as an MEP, said Britain was trying to have a "Europe a la carte" where it could "pick and choose" which parts of the union to sign up to.

BBC: Nick Clegg on the Today programme

His vision was for a Europe "a la carte", where countries chose what they liked and disliked.

BBC: Very different ideas about Europe

In what seemed another reference to Mr Cameron, he said that there could not be a two-speed, or a la carte, Europe.

BBC: France takes aim at Britain

There will be resistance to what will be seen as "Europe a la carte".

BBC: Europe's summer of argument

"We can't have Europe a la carte, " he said.

BBC: Very different ideas about Europe

"There can be no Europe 'a la carte', " and, although the EU needs to change, it "cannot allow itself to be blackmailed", he insists.

BBC: European media question Cameron's EU plan

But France and Germany, who previously criticised an "a la carte" approach to Europe, have decided not to take part in the "domestic political exercise".

BBC: William Hague