European Union leaders have been given a stark warning: Don't kill off the jobs market with your attempts to revive it.

Conservative MEP Anthea McIntyre told the European Commission to beware unintended consequences when she responded to an initiative entitled "Towards a Job-Rich Recovery" presented by Laszio Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.

Among its proposals for boosting growth and jobs are a minimum wage for the whole of Europe, more Europe-wide employment legislation and EU control of national labour markets across the continent.

Miss McIntyre, Conservative employment spokesman in the European Parliament, said: "European growth plans don't create jobs - businesses and entrepreneurs create jobs."

She told Mr Andor: "There are many points in the resolution that I support. But I reject calls for more harmonisation of European employment legislation, any attempts to establish European minimum wages and any calls for the EU to have controls and sanctions in national labour markets of Member States.

"We mustn't introduce measures that create unintended consequences and actually stop entrepreneurs and the self-employed from growing their businesses and starting to provide employment for others. SMEs and micro-enterprises provide 90 million jobs in the private sector in the EU and have huge potential for job creation,growth and innovation.

"We must do all we can to help rather than hinder them."