German chancellor Angela Merkel has said there is no easy fix to the European financial crisis, and that a solution will "take years".

Mrs Merkel told her country's parliament that "the German government has made it clear that the European crisis will not be solved in one fell swoop".

She added: "It's a process, and that process will take years."

Mrs Merkel and French president Nicolas Sarkozy are pushing for a reorganisation of existing regulations aimed at keeping the eurozone from breaking apart.

The German leader's address comes ahead of a December 9 EU summit in Brussels where she and Mr Sarkozy plan to propose joint action.

She also told MPs she is sticking to her position that the European Central Bank must remain independent to maintain trust.

Mrs Merkel said she still rejects eurobonds, telling parliament that jointly backed government debt across the eurozone is no solution to the financial crisis.

She claimed the eurozone instead needs a new "stability union" with stronger fiscal controls and debt regulations.

The German leader says the goal of the December 9 summit is to change European treaties "to avoid a splitting of the eurozone and non-eurozone members".