A plan to create an "inner circle" of members committed to deeper European Union integration but with outer rings of associates is being floated by Germany and France.
Officials from the two countries have drawn up a plan that potentially could see Britain being drawn back into the EU orbit as an "associate" member.
EU diplomatic sources told the The Times newspaper the plan does take into account the strong possibility Labour will be in power by the end of next year.
French President Emmanuel Macron is reported to be a supporter of associate membership as core members move towards even deeper integration and plan to invite other countries to join the bloc.
If any country tries to block treaty change relating to national votes on defence, foreign policy and security, the Franco-German plan envisages a new breakaway “inner circle", according to the report by The Times.
A second tier would be composed of most of the existing EU, with “unco-operative, unwilling states offered opt-outs in the new treaty but no exemptions” from the existing Lisbon Treaty or “EU values”.
The "associate outer tier” could include countries such as Norway, Switzerland or “even the UK".
“Associate members would not be bound to ‘ever closer union’,” said the paper, Countries could opt for a frictionless trade relationship rather than future integration.
Sir Keir Starmer is in Paris to meet President Macron with discussions expected to include Labour’s position on Britain's future relationship with the EU.
Sir Keir said: "We had a very constructive and positive meeting, which as you can imagine covered a wide range of issues."