The introduction of euro notes and coins will have a powerful impact on British public opinion, a leading Blairite MP has said.

David Miliband, a former Downing Street policy chief and a top level UK adviser on today's Laeken summit, says the event will do more to shift public opinion on the euro than politicians ever could.

"I think that the deed of the introduction of notes and coins will probably have more effect over the next few months than any words that politicians can come up with," he said.

"I think that the most significant change in the next few months is going to be the existence of euro notes and coins themselves. I think that the success or otherwise of the introduction of the euro to the 11 countries who have already met the conditions and signed up, will be an important signal to people about whether this is a project they want to be part of or not."

Reflecting on the changing face of the EU, he says that "interdependence is the defining feature of international relations" and suggests that "bold moves" may have to be made.His comments came as leading pro-Europeans, such as Peter Mandelson, gear-up to move the European debate into the next phase.

Mandelson has recently called for an EU-wide industrial energy tax to combat climate change. Speaking about the proposal, Miliband says: "That's certainly a bold move and I don't think it should be ruled out."

Miliband, the former head of the Downing Street Policy Unit, was elected to parliament in June and is a member of the Group for Laeken, which was established by the current EU presidency to advise on the future of Europe.

The top-level body, which included former commission president Jacques Delors and former Italian prime minister Giuliano Amato, was tasked with "reflecting" on the shape of a final declaration to be drawn up by national European leaders at the Laeken summit this weekend.

"I would hope that we have been able to provide a variety of views from around Europe to help develop a wide ranging agenda for the three years running up to the inter-government conference in 2004," Miliband said.

The Blairite MP said there is a "delivery deficit" in the EU and believes the leaders meeting in Belgium must address this.

"It's not really true to say that somehow Europe has broken down and failing, because in areas like the launch of notes and coins, the enlargement negotiations, cooperation on Justice and Home Affairs and defence, Europe is actually doing a lot and it's rising to some challenges," he told ePolitix.

"But there are areas where delivery does not match rhetoric and that needs to be addressed."

The MP says that the summit must identify ways to "strengthen the creative tension that exists between the main institutions of the European Union" and singles out the EU council meetings of national ministers and heads of government as a key area for reform.

"I believe that Europe needs a clearer, leaner, strategic function exercised by European council heads of government. Each council should elect a chair for two-and-a-half years which could give leadership in that area," he said.

Holding the council meetings in public, says Miliband, would go some way to "bridge the disconnection" between EU governments and voters.