EU’s Barroso says UK demands threatened single market

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Britain's demand for special treatment for financial services at last week's EU summit would have harmed the bloc's single market, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Tuesday.

"The United Kingdom, in exchange for giving its agreement, asked for a specific protocol on financial services which, as presented, was a risk to the integrity of the internal market. This made compromise impossible," he said in a speech to the European Parliament.

The intergovernmental deal that is set to be agreed by up to 26 EU countries will not be enough on its own, however, and member states must also restore growth and boost employment, he added.

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