European Union (EU) finance ministers said Tuesday they would continue to press for a deal on a bank bail-out levy at both European and global levels. Spanish Finance Minister Elena Salgado, whose country holds the EU rotating presidency, said that, although the G20 finance ministers failed to reach an agreement on the proposal to introduce a levy on banks, the EU would press ahead with the idea. 'The EU has been proactive and determined on following this up,' she told reporters after chairing the meeting with her EU colleagues. Salgado said the EU finance ministers would present a report to their leaders on the problems in getting a global agreement. EU leaders are due to meet next week and hammer out a common position in preparation for the G20 summit later this month. Michel Barnier, EU commissioner for internal market and services, said the EU must keep up impetus for financial reform in the wake of the financial crisis. 'All my colleagues in the commission agree with me, saying we must not give up a straightforward idea concerning a banking resolution fund,' he said, adding that taxpayers should no longer be forced to bail out banks which were in difficulties. 'We are still defending this idea at European level. We will defend it at international level, too,' Barnier said. The European Commission proposed last month to establish an EU network of national bank resolution funds with the new levy to ensure banks would pay for any future rescues. Under the proposal, such funds would be set up on a national basis in a coordinated way, instead of an EU-wide single fund opposed by several member states, including Britain. Member states would be required to impose a levy on banks to pay for the resolution funds, which would be designed to provide bridging loans to financial institutions deemed to be still viable or help banks get rid of bad assets. The EU is seeking a global approach on this issue in order to ensure a level playing field for European banks. 