But he said David Cameron’s best chance of winning EU reform lay in Britain engaging with its Continental neighbours not just “standing on the sidelines” demanding change.

The Prime Minister vows if re-elected in May to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the EU and put the result to an in-out referendum by the end of 2017 and he also promises further limits on newcomers’ access to benefits and public services.

Brussels has accused the UK of exaggerating how many people from other EU countries use their right to work and settle anywhere in Europe simply to exploit our more generous welfare system.

But former Dutch foreign minister Mr Timmermans said it must be made clearer that free movement did not under EU rules mean a benefit free-for-all: “Public support will dwindle if the public thinks that free movement means undermining of social security systems.

“We need to get that right.

“We need to make sure that it is clear (that) while of course you cannot discriminate between nationals of member states, access to the labour market does not mean automatic access to social security systems.”

He added that there was increasing support in Europe for Britain’s reform agenda and Britons were too quick to take a “nobody likes us but we don’t care” attitude to their neighbours.

“Britain can get far better results if it engages with Europe than standing on the sidelines and saying that Europe should change. Britain can drive the change,” he insisted.

Earlier, he said economic policies alone were not enough to secure support for being in Europe.

“People are much too down-to-earth in the UK to be convinced just by announcing measures. They want results.” He said

Since being appointed to the EU Commission in November to oversee “better regulation”, Mr Timmermans has withdrawn 70 pieces of planned EU legislation and said another batch would be announced this year, adding that he knew cutting red tape was a particular priority for Britain.

 Luke Stanley, of the cross-party anti-EU campaign group Get Britain Out, said: “While we welcome the news that eurocrats are finally starting to recognise the shortcomings of the free movement of people, Mr Timmermans is deluded if he thinks curbing migrants’ access to welfare will make a jot of difference in the referendum outcome.

“Tinkering around with small-scale immigration reforms will not be enough to trick the Great British Public into voting to stay within this failed political project, as we were in 1975.

“We need the ability to fully control our borders, ensure all our laws are made by our country’s democratically elected representatives and the freedom to sign lucrative trade agreements with countries across the globe, all of which is only achievable by voting to get Britain out of the EU.”

Source: Express.UK