The European Union will consider German proposals on Monday to limit bankers' bonuses to the same level as basic salaries.
The proposals, first aired by Germany, will be discussed by EU member states and lawmakers from the European Parliament.
It's the next step in drawn out negotiations to reach a joint deal on new rules forcing banks to hold more capital.
It will be the first time member states formally discuss the bonus proposal - which was not part of the original draft measure - and will pit German interests against those of Britain.
UK finance minister George Osborne, mindful of London's status as a financial centre, has previously said he would fight any new bonus caps from Brussels.
Banks have also lobbied against the change, saying the cap could strip them of talented staff. Current rules already force banks to defer up to half the bonus for at least three years.
The European Parliament wants the total of all elements of a bonus to be no more than basic salary, a step too far for some countries, leading to an attempt by Germany to propose a middle way.
The discussions will reportedly include a proposal from German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble to cap only the cash component of a bonus to no more than the banker's fixed salary.
Schaeuble's cash cap might be easier for banks to swallow, because many already pay larger proportions of their bonuses in shares, following a previous EU law which required that bankers get just a quarter of their bonus upfront in cash.
Banks argue that capping bonuses or enforcing bonus/salary ratios would simply push up basic pay to retain staff - something which is already happening - and increase lenders' fixed costs, making it harder to cut costs in a downturn.
The cap is just one element in a package of rules that implement a global accord, known as Basel III, requiring lenders to triple the amount of basic capital they must hold to weather shocks unaided by taxpayers.
The European Union is struggling to agree on many aspects of the package, including what kinds of assets can be considered liquid or quickly available in a crisis.
