Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Mr Gordon Brown said today he would not take lectures from Brussels on public spending and would stick to plans to increase investment, including on transport and health.
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Mr Brown spoke a day after a draft European Commission document warned that the British government's spending plans breached the EU's economic stability rules.
"I'm not prepared for the European Commission to give us lectures about what the level of spending should be in this country," Mr Brown told BBC radio.
He said Britain had a long-term strategy to tackle under-investment in transport, health, and education. Tough decisions taken earlier to repay debt had made the new investment possible, he added.
Mr Brown also repeated the treasury denial he was considering refunding the £22 billion that mobile operators spent on third generation (3G) telephone licences.
"We raised that £22 billion. That money has gone to reducing debt and allowing us to have lower debt interest payments, and therefore allowing that money to go to health and education."
"And I am not prepared to change a decision, particularly because it was an option that everybody freely entered into" he added.