Business chiefs have warned that company leaders are becoming frustrated with increasing amounts of pan-European social legislation.

Publishing its submission to the convention on the future of the European Union, the CBI criticised the Commission for introducing new laws even when there was no consensus between social partners.

"British business is a passionate supporter of the EU. But we need the Convention to help speed up the painfully slow progress on the pro-business single market agenda," said John Cridland, CBI deputy director general.