The former Portuguese prime minister, who will spell out his proposals in Brussels later Wednesday, told the Financial Times newspaper that he planned a series of pro-business initiatives.

Among these was an emphasis on research and development, he told the London-based paper.

"We need at least one Massachusetts Institute of Technology," Barroso said, referring to the famous US university. "The one thing that strikes me is that the best researchers aren't in Europe."

Attempts would also be made to reduce barriers within the European Union for service industries, which can make it difficult for professionals to move nation.

"It's an important part of making Europe more attractive," Barroso said.

Another pledge was to look at a draft law imposing stringent environmental controls on the chemicals industry "to avoid creating unnecessary problems in terms of competitiveness".

Barroso also reiterated his scepticism about subsidy-supported "European industrial champions", emphasising his belief that money should be diverted from such national giants to smaller, more competitive firms.

"There is a tendency in Europe, faced with increased competition from other parts of the world, to go for interventionist policies. I'm not against European champions, but they must come out of competition," he said.