"I consider the ideas he has proposed irresponsible and contrary to the interests of the European economy," said Noyer, whose native country along with Germany has cautioned in recent days against some of the ideas Barnier was set to propose as part of an EU drive to better regulate the sector.

Noyer said reforms already hatched in France and Germany amounted to "just about the best that can be done".

The controversy centres on how far regulation should go in forcing banks to keep market trading with their own money separate from traditional retail and business lending activities, as part of an attempt to prevent costly bank failures.

(Reporting By Brian Love)