The president of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, called the EU Council for a concrete decision on the funding that is to be granted to developing countries for the fight against climate change, during a press conference?in Brussels?on Thursday.

Buzek urged EU member states to "put a figure on the table," to determine the funding for the immediate aid required by developing countries.

He described the meeting as "decisive," saying that it will be instrumental in the success of the Copenhagen Summit on climate change. However, he stressed that the burden cost should be " shared fairly among the EU member states."

The EU Parliament president also brought up the issue of the EU 's competitiveness and highlighted its importance when declaring that a European energy community, on the model of the former coal and steel community, would be conducive to the EU's global competitiveness.

As for the EU 2014 budget, Buzek reiterated the importance of a competitive economy, and the role of a "modernized cohesion policy encompassing the entire Union." These kinds of policies "must help the EU get rid of its continuing disparities," he said.