British Prime Minister David Cameron began his first EU summit today vowing to defend Britain's "red lines" and implicitly criticising a French initiative for a eurozone economic government.
"You'll see Britain playing a very positive, a very engaged, very active role in the European Union," Cameron told a joint news conference with EU Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso.
"We will of course always defend our national interests, as others do, and our national red lines," he swiftly stressed.
The Conservative leader said it was in Britain's interest that there was a stable, successful eurozone but made it clear that he was not about to join the club.
"We are not a member of the euro nor are we going to become a member of the euro, but a strong, successful eurozone is vital to Britain's national interests," he underlined.
Barroso, who fed Cameron bacon and eggs over a working breakfast, according to the BBC, praised the efforts of the new British coalition government to tackle its economic woes.
"I want to pay tribute to the efforts that the UK Government coalition is taking. We believe they are taking exactly the right medicine for the situation," he told assembled journalists in the EU Commission building as the other European leaders gathered across the road.
Both men had harsh words between the lines for France's idea of introducing "economic government" for the eurozone, concentrating instead on the need to foster growth through confidence in fiscal policies.
"Our citizens want us to concentrate on substance not on more discussions about institutions or processes," Barroso told reporters
Cameron said such statements were "music to my ears," underlining that "we should be focusing on the issues of substance and not of institutional reform."
The British leader also said he "very much" admired the approach of former Portuguese prime minister Barroso, backing him on "the importance of getting our public finances in order, that there can be no growth without confidence."
The feeling was clearly mutual: "I am delighted to welcome David Cameron to the Commission," Barroso said.
"I wish him all the best and for Britain as well. I look forward to working with him in the coming years," he added, underlining Britain's "crucial role" in Europe and "positive agenda for reform."
France had been calling for a kind of economic government for the 16-nation eurozone to increase fiscal coordination and effectiveness.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy reluctantly renounced his initiative on Monday in the face of opposition also from Germany which fears creating a two-speed Europe.
Cameron upset Britain's EU partners when, as opposition leader before assuming power, he pulled the Conservatives out of the European People's Party, the mainstream centre-right grouping in Europe.
The British Conservatives then went on to help form a new anti-federalist bloc in the European Parliament.
The British PM is also opposed to initiatives to impose penalties on fiscal laggards, to introduce a bank levy which would become a common European piggy bank and to show Brussels his governments budget plans before they are presented to the national parliament.
Cameron said Britain backed a strong EU trade policy and sought EU cooperation in areas such as a new sanction package against Iran, something which the 27 heads of state and government were set to announce later in the day.