FRANKFURT (AFX) - ECB governing council member Yves Mersch is the favourite to succeed Christian Noyer as ECB vice president when the Frenchman's term runs out in May, Handelsblatt reported, citing central bank sources. The paper said France however has still not decided whether it wants to put forward a Frenchman to succeed Noyer or to replace president Wim Duisenberg with a Frenchman when he steps down. Mersch is also governor of Luxembourg's central bank.