BC-EUROZONE-GOVERNMENT/VAN ROMPUY

EU president backs euro econ governm't idea-sources

BRUSSELS, June 2 (Reuters) - European Union President Herman van Rompuy supports the creation of a euro zone economic government, as proposed by France, EU sources said on Wednesday.

"What President Van Rompuy wants is a kind of government at the level of euro zone heads of states and government, where everybody would feel a sense of responsibility. It would be more than a forum. It would concern a euro zone economic government," one EU diplomat said.

France has long pressed for a more formalised system of coordinating economic policy in the European Union but the idea has been treated with scepticism by some of its partners, notably the region's biggest economy Germany.

French daily Le Monde reported this week that President Nicolas Sarkozy was pressing for a group of euro zone leaders with a secretariat to act as an economic government for the single currency bloc.

"Such economic government would not necessarily have to have a proper secretariat but could be supported, like European summits now, by the structures of the European Council secretariat," the EU diplomat said, adding van Rompuy could chair the institution.