GETTY The EU are intent on pressuring the UK with a series of demands

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France is said to want to go further by denying British banks and other financial institutions “passporting” rights to do business in Europe unless we allow EU citizens the right to move to the UK. Only three EU members, Denmark, Austria and Bulgaria, were thought to share Britain’s concerns about immigration, according to research by financial news agency Bloomberg. Theresa May has promised tough negotiations with Europe to curb the flood of migrants from the Eurozone.

Several eastern European countries along with Greece want Britain to keep paying into the EU budget on which they are heavily reliant for support, while former Soviet states are seeking security guarantees against Russian aggression. One demand certain to be rejected by the UK is Spain’s wish for joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. A British government source hit back yesterday WED at the EU wishlist, commenting: “The UK is a major world economy and has a strong bargaining power in these negotiations. “The EU is on the verge of another currency and financial crisis and a political meltdown and its bureaucrats need to eat a lot more humble pie.”

GETTY Theresa May has promised tough negotiations with Europe

Britain is expected to trigger the process of leaving the EU in line with the result of the June 23 referendum by invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, starting up to two years of formal talks with EU partners and Brussels.

EU bureaucrats need to eat a lot more humble pie A British government source

But Prime Minister May has said she will not invoke Article 50 before the end of this year. Finnish Finance Minister Petteri Orpo told Bloomberg of his fears about the search for a Brexit deal. He said: “The risk I see is that we can’t find solutions between Britain and the rest of the 27 EU countries and that the question will remain open. “That will create uncertainty for the euro area for a long time and pose a bigger risk to the growth of the area and Finland.” Stephen Booth, co-director of London-based pro-reform group Open Europe, said: “Clearly there are going to be different issues raised by all the different sides.

GETTY Spain’s wish for joint sovereignty over Gibraltar is likely to be rejected

“The EU is ultimately a compromise of national interests so whatever the UK gets in the end will be that.” Meanwhile a member of Norway’s government warned Britain might not be allowed, if it sought it, entry into the European Free Trade Association of non-EU members who have access to the EU single market. Europe minister Elisabeth Vik Aspaker told a Norwegian newspaper: “It’s not certain that it would be a good idea to let a big country into this organisation. It would shift the balance, which is not necessarily in Norway’s interests.”

GETTY Countries including Germany and Portugal are pressuring the UK to accept unlimited migration