EU leaders discuss climate change and the economy
30 Oct 2009
The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary travelled to Brussels for the EU Council.
The two day summit, under the Swedish Presidency, focused on climate change, the economic situation and institutional issues related to the Lisbon treaty.
On climate change, the Prime Minister is now optimistic a deal on climate change can be reached at Copenhagen in December after a "breakthrough" during talks at the EU Council.
Mr Brown said three conditional offers will come from Europe: the provision of long-term finance for developing countries; public finance will be made available; and a fast-track scheme to allow countries to participate immediately after the Copenhagen discussions.
As the ratification process of the Lisbon treaty is now close to completion, EU leaders also took stock of the situation and examined how to bring the process to a successful end.
The summit also provided guidance for further work on the economic crisis, including strengthening the surveillance of financial markets.
The Prime Minister said that European Council discussions will show that Europe is "united in its determination" to put growth and jobs at the top of the agenda.
In a letter to summit chairman Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Swedish Prime Minister, Gordon Brown called on the council members to "put Europe on a new course" or "risk a decade or more of retrenchment, low growth and high unemployment."
Read Gordon Brown's letter [Number 10 website]
Other topics included illegal immigration in the Mediterranean and an EU strategy for the Baltic Sea region.
These and other issues to be addressed at the summit were prepared by foreign ministers who met in Luxemburg earlier this week.
