Norwegian MPs have told the EU that Britain must not be allowed a better Brexit deal than the partnership it has with the bloc, a close ally of Angel Merkel has claimed.

Elmar Brok, a senior German MEP, said Norwegian MPs have warned him that Brussels must not "give the same treatment or better than we have" to the UK if it does not meet the same obligations, such as following EU rules.

"At a meeting with the delegation from the Norwegian parliament, they reminded me that we should not give Britain the same advantages as those given to member states of the EU," Mr Brok told the Telegraph.

"Norway pays for the cohesion policies of the European Union, and Switzerland does too. They said this to us - and the Norwegian prime minister said this a few weeks ago - they warned us and said, do not give the same privileges, same treatment, or even better than we have, because we fulfil the obligations. So there's a borderline we have to accept."

Norway is not an EU member state but pays millions into the European budget each year and follows EU regulations - without having a say in their drafting - in exchange for market access.

A Norwegian government spokesman strongly denied the suggestion that it would oppose a UK-EU deal that was superior to Norway's arrangements.

"We have repeatedly denied this as falsehood," they said. "On the contrary: It is of direct interest to Norway that the EU and the UK succeed in negotiating an orderly UK withdrawal from the EU and a framework for their future relationship."

The spokesman added that Norwegian MPs' views, as expressed in the meeting with Mr Brok, did not reflect government policy.

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It comes after the Guardian newspaper reported that Norwegian officials had repeatedly warned the EU against making an overly generous offer to Theresa May.

Earlier this year an EU official told the newspaper that Norway was following the Brexit process "very closely" to make sure that "we [the EU] are not giving the UK a much more favourable deal.”

Norway is part of the European Economic Area (EEA) and pays more into the European budget per capita than the UK.

Eurosceptics in Norway are campaigning for it to leave the EEA and instead strike a free trade deal with the EU. The push is being led by the Centre party, which doubled its vote in elections last year.

Erna Solberg, Norway's prime minister, center, gestures while speaking as Ine Eriksen, Norway's foreign minister, right, and Tone Troen, Norway's speaker of parliament, left, look on credit: Kyrre Lien

This has reportedly fuelled concern in Oslo that the Norwegian government may have to renegotiate its relationship with the EU - and potentially leave the EEA - if the UK manages to secure a superior arrangement.

Mr Brok, an outspoken europhile who has branded Britain's Brexit strategy "unrealistic and nostalgic," also complained that the UK was seeking all the advantages of EU membership with none of the costs.

"If you are not in the club, you have to pay a green fee when you want to play on the course," he said.

"Britain cannot have similar advantages to a country that stays and fulfills its obligations, including paying money [into the EU budget.],"

He added. "If someone does not contribute to that they cannot have the same advantages."