Juncker will not oppose EU powers reverting to Britain: report

(LONDON) - Jean-Claude Juncker does not want a European Union without Britain and will not fight attempts to repatriate powers to Westminster from Brussels, according to the Daily Telegraph.

"I've never opposed the idea of a well-structured, well-organised, profoundly negotiated repatriation of competences from Brussels to national parliaments," the British newspaper quoted the designated head of the European Commission as saying.

"I don't want the EU without Britain. Britain is an essential element of policy making in Europe because the British are a common sense and down to earth people."

"If Westminster wants to recover competences, OK. If the others agree, it shall be done," he said in a meeting with MEPs according to the daily which said it had a leaked recording.

It was not clear when the meeting took place.

The comments could be a boost to British Prime Minister David Cameron following his failure to block the nomination of the former Luxembourg premier, seen by London as too federalist.

The Conservative leader has vowed to renegotiate Britain's ties to the EU and to hold a referendum on membership in 2017, keen to win over anti-EU voters and placate the Eurosceptic wing of his party ahead of a 2015 election.

Juncker denied being a federalist in favour of ever-closer union of the bloc, telling MEPs, "I don't think the European Union will become a state. I would fight against that," according to the daily.

Juncker is expected to be confirmed as European Commission president by EU lawmakers in a vote on July 15, replacing Jose Manuel Barroso.

No comment was immediately available from Juncker's office.