Brussels.

THE president of the European Commission last night rejected claims by

Prime Minister John Major and Chancellor Kenneth Clarke that Britain had

won concessions on implement

ing the EU's clean water

policy.

Mr Jacques Delors and Environment Commissioner Ioannis Paleokrassas

pointed out that Mr Clarke had found no support in the the Council of

the European Union when he raised the subject with other finance

ministers.

The incident caused embarrassment last year for Mr Clarke, when he

claimed the Commission had given the green light to Britain changing the

timetable on bringing water up to EU standards, because of the

''unacceptable'' cost.

Mr Clarke claimed the #10 billion cost to the UK was ''too high to

contemplate''. His tone was aimed at blaming the Commission for

recklessly committing member states to vast spending.

He had to back down when it emerged that the original estimated cost

of #2000m had been calculated during Mr Michael Heseltine's term at

Environment.

Mr Paleokrassas appeared before the European Parliament's all-party

environment committee, chaired by Mr Ken Collins, Labour Euro-MP for

Strathclyde East, and told members: ''I would like to confirm that there

has not been a single proposal made by a single member state as to

lowering the standards or criteria relating to the direct

ives.''