European Union finance ministers have agreed to establish a new framework for financial supervision¹, designed to help prevent future financial crises.

欧盟财政部长同意建立一个财政监管新框架，以防止未来可能出现的金融危机。

The measures include a European Systemic Risk Board to oversee² the health of Europe's economy.

Ministers also approved a second instalment（分期付款，就职） of emergency loans to Greece worth 9bn euros ($11.4bn; £7.5bn).

They were unable, however, to agree a new Europe-wide bank levy³（征收，征税） or bank transaction tax（交易税） .

Continued uncertainty⁴

Other supervisory bodies that will oversee banking⁵, financial markets, insurance and pensions were also agreed by the ministers.

They include the European Banking Authority, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority, and the European Securities and Markets Authority.

These bodies will have the power to intervene in（干预，调停） the affairs of individual coutntries if EU members agree that the domestic regulator is failing in its duties.

They will not, however, be able to sanction（制裁，处罚） measures that involve spending taxpayers⁶' money - they cannot order any bail-outs, for example.

The Council of the European Union said the European Parliament "is expected" to ratify⁷ these bodies later this month. They will then become "operational as planned" from 1 January next year.

The framework had already been agreed in principle earlier this month.

EU Economic and Monetary⁸ Affairs Commissioner⁹ Olli Rehn said the new framework was necessary in light of the continued economic uncertainty in Europe.

"I think it is important to underline that while we have stabilised the situation in the spring and during the summer concerning financial stability in the euro area, we are not out of the woods yet."

Europe's move follows the sweeping¹⁰ Wall Street reforms that President Barack Obama signed into law in July.