EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding has urged the European Commission to take legal action against France over its deportations of Roma (Gypsies).
Ms Reding called French actions a "disgrace". She deplored the fact that a leaked official memo contradicted assurances given to her by France.
France voiced "astonishment" in response to her statement on Tuesday.
France's deportations of more than 1,000 Roma, to Bulgaria and Romania, have been widely condemned.
The deportations began in early August, after French President Nicolas Sarkozy linked illegal Roma camps with crimes such as prostitution and child exploitation.
The BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels says Ms Reding's rebuke amounted to incredibly strong language from a European commissioner about a big member state.
BBC News
