PARIS - There is no proposal for a pooled European fund for bailing out banks, a French official said on Sunday night after a media report saying that Rome would float such a proposal with German and french backing.

"There's no proposal for such a fund," said the official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. "There's no change from the statement issued on Saturday," the official added, referring to a joint statement the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Britain issued after a meeting in Paris on Saturday - a statement that made no mention of a fund.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was quoted by Italian agencies as saying earlier on Sunday that such a fund would be proposed this week by Italy and was already assured the backing of Germany and France.