EU summit opens to discuss climate change, Lisbon Treaty

BRUSSELS, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of 27 European Union member states have meet here on Thursday for a two-day summit to climate financing, EU institutional and economic issues.

Leaders of EU member states have family photos taken during the European Union (EU) Summit in Brussels, capital of Belgium, Oct. 29, 2009. Leaders of 27 EU member states met here on Thursday for a two-day summit to discuss about climate financing, EU institutional and economic issues.(Xinhua/Thierry Monasse)

The first session of the summit is focused on "the make-or-break" issue of climate financing to help poor countries to fight climate change.

The Swedish presidency urged the meeting for an agreement on an EU mandate on climate financing before the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.

The leaders are to discuss the reform Treaty of Lisbon, which has been ratified by all member states but the Czech Republic.

A permanent president of the European Council should have been elected at the summit if all the 27 member states have ratified the treaty.

The summit is to discuss the Czech demand that the Czech Republic is given the same status already granted to Britain and Poland in relation to the treaty's Charter of Fundamental Rights.

At the summit, they must conclude the majority of the preparations required for the entry into force of the treaty, such as new working procedures for the European Council.