Gordon Brown claimed yesterday that he would put Britain at the centre of Europe even though it has taken him nearly seven months to make his first visit to the European Commission as Prime Minister.

His tardiness in reaching Brussels came in stark contrast to Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, and President Sarkozy of France, both of whom visited within a week of taking office and then pushed a series of EU initiatives.

The Prime Minister proposed a European carbon bank yesterday to fund the move away from carbon dioxide emissions and brushed aside suggestions that he had lost influence in Europe by showing up three hours late in Lisbon in December to sign the EU reform treaty.

“I have no doubt that at this time of global uncertainty we should not be even throwing into question, as some would, the stability of Britain's relationships with the European Union nor our future membership,” Mr Brown said, sounding much more upbeat about the EU having weathered the storm of demands for a referendum on the EU treaty.

“Indeed, Britain must be at the centre of Europe working with other member states and working with the Commission to make the most of the opportunities that are now ahead of us because of globalisation and obviously also to minimise the risk.”

His use of the term “the centre of Europe” recalled his two immediate predecessors, Tony Blair and Sir John Major, both of whom vowed on taking office to put Britain “at the heart of Europe” but who both kept the EU at arm's length.

Gone was the rhetoric about fighting for Britain's interests that characterised negotiations on the treaty. Instead, he insisted that Britain would now be fully engaged with the EU — a tough message to sell to Europeans who accuse Britain of creating a two-speed Europe with its refusal to join the single currency or the Schengen visa-free travel zone and its opt-outs from the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights and qualified-majority decision-making.

Mr Brown held a private meting for more than an hour with Peter Mandelson, Britain's EU Commissioner, suggesting a thaw in their longstanding feud. They barely spoke for a decade after Mr Mandelson backed Mr Blair for Labour Party leader in 1994 but Mr Brown said yesterday that he spoke to the Trade Commissioner regularly.

Diplomats said that they have been forced to get along better by a mutual desire to counter the number of EU initiatives being proposed by Mr Sarkozy.

There was alarm in Downing Street at suggestions from Paris that protectionist trade and carbon tariffs were needed at a time when Mr Mandelson was trying to relax controls as part of last-ditch talks to broker a world trade deal. There is also concern at Mr Sarkozy's attack on the primacy of competition in the EU's internal market and criticism of the independence of the European Central Bank.

Observers believe that, with France due to take over the rotating EU presidency in June, there is a need for Mr Brown to take his place on the European stage as a counterweight to the hyperactive French President, whose plans include developing the EU's defence force.

José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President, seemed hopeful that Mr Brown's visit marked a turning point in his engagement with the EU.

“To respond to the global issues of economic stability, climate change, development, migration and security Europe needs Britain to be actively engaged, coming forward with a range of creative ideas,” he said. “I am sure the Prime Minister would agree that Britain is strengthened on all these issues through Europe.”

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