Germany Backs Non-Euro States Joining Bank Plan - by Rebecca Christie, Jim Brunsden and Stephanie Bodoni

Germany is urging the European Union to improve proposals for a euro-area bank supervisor so that countries outside the currency bloc might be enticed to join, said two European officials familiar with the matter. 

The EU is seeking input from the European Commission and the European Central Bank on ways to give non-euro nations a bigger voice on supervision matters at the ECB, which will provide oversight under the plan, according to the officials who are tracking the deliberations. The EU also has asked its lawyers for ways to give non-euro states more say at the London- based European Banking Authority, said the people who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.

Germany favors ECB-based ways to give a voice to non-euro nations that take part in the banking union, rather than referring all of their concerns to the EBA or some other avenue, one of the people said. EU officials have asked for suggested policy options as soon as workable, the people said.

Read more: Germany Backs Non-Euro States Joining Bank Plan - Businessweek