EU leaders to discuss eurozone debt

Taoiseach Brian Cowen will join other EU leaders for a two-day summit meeting in Brussels later today to try to agree the next steps in tackling the euro zone debt crisis.

Mr Cowen is being accompanied by the Minister for European Affairs, Dick Roche.

With bailouts already agreed for Greece and Ireland, the European Council summit will discuss changing the Lisbon Treaty to create a permanent crisis-resolution mechanism from 2013.

Ahead of the meeting, there have been calls for consideration of a far more radical package of measures in order to stabilise the currency, including the creation of a eurozone bond.

Germany and France have indicated their opposition to the proposal.

keydmedia.net