European institutions are overstepping the rules to intervene in matters which should be decided by the UK, the Government's top law officer warned.

Dominic Grieve criticised the way that Brussels attempts to reduce member states' freedom of action.

Raising the prospect of further court battles over the EU's activities, the Attorney General told European lawyers and judges: "The UK plays by the rules and we expect others to do so too."

Ahead of the speech yesterday, Mr Grieve said: "This won't just be the usual Euro bashing by a British minister. I am going to Brussels to speak - partly in French - as a lawyer, to lawyers and spell out what lies at the base of Britain's and other member states' frustrations with the EU.

"I'm going to talk about some very specific proposals where we think there's been some woolly thinking and try and get across to these key EU legal officials and judges that it's this sort of thing that really riles citizens in Britain and across Europe and needs to be changed if the EU is to meet the challenge of securing prosperity for people across the continent."

The Attorney General highlighted action by eurozone member states which could harm countries outside the single currency zone and unnecessary arguments about expanding the role of the European Commission to represent the EU on the world stage as areas of concern.

Mr Grieve echoed David Cameron's warning about public support for the EU being "wafer thin".