Berlin - German Economics Minister Michael Glos has offered to resign, the newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported on Saturday.

The newspaper said the minister had informed Chancellor Angela Merkel of his intention.

Glos is a member of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU).

The 64-year-old Glos expressed his desire to step down in a letter to CSU leader Host Seehofer, who is also president of the southern German state of Bavaria.

Bild am Sonntag, which said it had obtained a copy of the letter, said Glos told Seehofer he wanted to quit in order to make way for a renewal in the CSU.

Glos has been economics minister since Merkel took office at the end of 2005. (dpa)