Differences were widening last night over a €200bn European Commission economic recovery plan, with France and the UK eager to see a big, co-ordinated stimulus package but Germany more critical of such reflationary measures.

A paper by the French presidency of the European Union, to be discussed at today's EU finance ministers' meeting in Brussels, was similar in content and tone to the Commission's plan, with some passages apparently lifted directly from the proposal published last week, EU officials said.