The European Union has struggled to find common ground amid the influx of people seeking safety and a better life. Germany and Sweden have allowed in large numbers of refugees, while many other countries are reluctant to share the burden.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung in an interview published Saturday: "If the funds in national budgets and the European budget aren't enough, then let's agree, for example, to raise a levy on every liter of gasoline at a certain level."

He added that, if not all EU countries are prepared to go along, a "coalition of the willing" could do so.