MILANO- The European Union budget rules need to be more consistent with expected higher levels of sovereign debt due to the coronavirus crisis, the bloc's economics commissioner said on Sunday.

Paolo Gentiloni said the euro zone average debt to GDP ratio would be around 103%-104% at the end of the pandemic next year.

"We need to take in account this new scenario," the EU commissioner told to state broadcaster RAI.

(Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro; Editing by Edmund Blair) ((gianluca.semeraro@tr.com; +39 06 80 307 741;))