EU opens climate change summit

European Union leaders opened a difficult summit in Brussels, Belgium. They are facing an east-west rift over who should pay the most to entice developing nations for a new climate change pact. A first debate on who should fill the newly created post of EU president and other top jobs, will also be staged.

The European Commission is recommending EU nations pay up to 15 billion euros, or more than 22 billion US dollars a year to developing nations. But aid and environmental groups say Europe should be prepared to pay 35 billion euros annually by 2020.

Hundreds of miniature tents sprung up in Brussels on Wednesday to demonstrate to EU leaders what is at stake should they fail to agree on a position on climate financing.