Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said today there were still "pockets of resistance" in tense European Union budget talks and he would propose across the board spending cuts to try to clinch a compromise at a summit this week.
EU leaders meet tomorrow to try and get a deal on the 25-nation bloc's long-term budget for 2007-13.
Britain wants a cut in farm support, which mainly benefits France, if it is to accept a review of its annual rebate from EU coffers.
Mr Juncker told a European Parliament committee that Britain was not the only country in a special situation and he would not be able to meet the Dutch government's expectations of no longer being the biggest net per capita contributor either.