* EU leaders seek deal on climate change funding
* Funding issue important for global deal in Copenhagen
* Blair's chances of becoming EU president have receded
By Timothy Heritage and David Brunnstrom
BRUSSELS, Oct 30 (Reuters) - European Union leaders tried on
Friday to agree on funding for a global deal to combat climate
change after a first day of talks ended in deadlock.
Agreement on the last day of an EU summit would add much
needed impetus to efforts to reach a deal at global climate
change talks in Copenhagen in December. Failure would be a big
blow because the bloc has played a lead role in these efforts.
The EU's Swedish presidency drew up revised proposals after
talks broke down on Thursday, largely because of a rift between
nine countries from eastern Europe and the richer member states
over how the burden should be shared. []
"It is extremely important that the European Union keeps the
leadership role we have had," said Jose Manuel Barroso,
president of the European Commission, the EU executive.
Developing countries say they will not sign up to tackling
climate change without enough funds from rich nations.
A draft statement at the Brussels summit showed the leaders
of the 27 EU countries were preparing to back an estimate that
developing nations need 100 billion euros ($148.2 billion) a
year by 2020 to tackle climate problems.
But the poor EU member states want to know how the bill will
be split to ensure they do not pay more than they can afford.
Many EU states say agreeing figures now would encourage
other countries, such as the United States, to follow suit and
give momentum to climate change talks. But Germany wants to wait
until other global powers have said how much they will provide.
"I believe that we will come out of this summit with a clear
message that will be a part of the talks with the United States,
India and China. We want success -- but that will require a lot
of work," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters.
"The EU will be pioneering in this respect (financing).
However, the commitments will also be tied to other countries
making similar financial pledges."
BLAIR'S HOPES SLIDE
The main achievement on the first day of the summit was an
agreement opening the way to ratification of the Lisbon treaty,
which would ease EU decision-making, create an EU president and
increase the powers of its foreign policy chief. []
Under the deal, the leaders accepted Czech President Vaclav
Klaus's demands for an opt-out from a rights charter attached to
the Lisbon treaty to shield the Czech Republic from property
claims by ethnic Germans expelled after World War Two.
[]
An aide said Klaus was satisfied with the decision, which
met his condition for signing the treaty. Ratification by the
Czech Republic, the only EU state holding out against signing,
now depends on its constitutional court rejecting a legal
challenge in a ruling expected on Tuesday.
"The road to ratification now stands open," Swedish Prime
Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said.
The leaders said they did not discuss who would be the EU
president, but former British Prime Minister Blair's hopes faded
when his candidacy failed to secure the blessing of European
socialists who are his ruling Labour Party's allies.
The post is now more likely to go to a centre-right leader,
especially as centre-right parties dominate the European
Parliament and form a majority among EU leaders. []
No front-runner has emerged but possible contenders include
Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, former Finnish Prime
Minister Paavo Lipponen and Luxembourg Prime Minister
Jean-Claude Juncker. []
(Writing by Timothy Heritage)
