Denis MacShane has urged Britons to accept the European Union "is not a one-way street in which Britain alone has national interests that others have to bow to".

Writing in Thursday's Telegraph, the Europe minister defended the government's approach to European integration.

And he said Conservative calls to unilaterally withdraw from areas such as the common fisheries policy would put the UK in breach of international law.

In what was being seen as a coded rebuke to chancellor Gordon Brown's criticisms of other European governments, MacShane said the UK could not "ride rough-shod" over the interests of other countries.

However, MacShane's key target was the Conservatives, who have called for a renegotiation of EU treaties to give more power back to Britain.

He argued "for the first time in British history" the principle of staying in key international treaty organisations and abiding by its rules is under challenge.

"Well financed political organisations are calling on Britain to leave the EU, which, along with NATO and the WTO, is the most important treaty organisation to which Britain belongs," he wrote.

"There are also proposals claiming that Britain can unilaterally pass national law that would allow it to choose the bits of the EU it likes - for example, the single market - but tell EU member states such as Ireland, Holland, Germany and others that they cannot fish in the North Sea or Atlantic waters Britain wants to reserve for itself."

Breach

The minister argued that these proposals "would put Britain in breach of its legal obligations".

He said the constraints of international law are "at times irritating".

"Yet British citizens cannot pick and choose which bits of the law they will obey," he added.

"Similarly, Britain cannot pass legislation that conflicts with international treaties, such as the EU treaties, without being in breach of its solemn treaty obligations."

MacShane added that the government could not "pass national legislation unilaterally to exempt Britain from parts of the treaties all other treaty members abide by".

"Quite rightly, business leaders demand that the EU enforces its rules and creates a level playing field, so that British business can obtain maximum advantage from the market of 450 million Europeans whose sovereign states have agreed to live under the common rule book contained in the existing and latest version of the constitutional treaties," his article continued.

"But what is sauce for the French or German or Italian goose is sauce for the British gander.

"Europe is not a one-way street in which Britain alone has national interests that others have to bow to, but we can ride rough-shod over everyone else."