European Union leaders begin a two-day summit on Thursday and are expected to offer developing nations up to 6 billion euros ($9 billion) over the next three years as a way of stimulating the rest of the world into pledging additional funds.

The move would also help the 27-member bloc maintain its position as a global leader in the fight against climate change, but how much money the EU should provide developing nations has long been a sticking point among European governments.

As for providing money to the developing world, Britain and Sweden - which holds the rotating EU presidency until the end of the year - have already promised to contribute a total of around 1.5 billion euros between 2010 and 2012.

"Nobody wants to pay for Copenhagen"

Other EU members, including France, Germany, Italy and Poland, are less keen to set figures.

Germany has been wary of mentioning specific targets ahead of negotiations, fearing it could harm their position in the ongoing Copenhagen talks, according to Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.

"We want Europe to be a leader in protecting the environment, but Europe can't save the world on its own," he said. "That's why we're not going to write any blank checks that let anyone off the hook."

Poland's European Affairs Minister Mikolaj Dowgielewicz put it more bluntly: "Nobody wants to pay for Copenhagen."

Deciding what to cut

The EU has also already committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent over the next decade, but continues to disagree on how the cuts should be made.

Heavily coal-reliant Poland and others oppose an initiative to increase Europe's emissions cuts from 20 percent to 30 percent if the rest of the world agrees similar measures, but Britain is pushing for additional emissions cuts.

"It's not enough to say 'I may do this, I might do this, possibly I'll do this,'" British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Tuesday. "I want to create a situation in which the European Union is persuaded to go to 30 percent."

European frustration heated up Wednesday when Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt criticized the United States for not matching Europe's ambitions in the battle against global warming.

EU figures published last week showed confirmed pledges from developed nations outside Europe would mean cuts of just 13 percent.

sms/AFP/dpa/AP

Editor: Kate Bowen