Birmingham - The European Commission President, Mr Romano Prodi, yesterday issued a warning to Britain not to be left "lagging behind" as the EU pushed ahead.
Addressing the CBI annual conference in Birmingham, he said that the UK faced a choice between playing a leading role in Europe or falling behind.
He made no direct reference to the single currency, but his comments will raise renewed fears of a "two-speed" Europe, with the euro-zone nations forming a "pioneer group" within the EU, which Britain is determined to resist.
