Leaders of 27 European Union member states have met in Brussels on Thursday for a two-day summit to climate financing, EU institutional and economic issues.

The first session of the summit is focused on "the make-or-break" issue of climate financing to help poor countries to fight climate change.

The Swedish presidency urged the meeting for an agreement on an EU mandate on climate financing before the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.

The leaders are to discuss the reform Treaty of Lisbon, which has been ratified by all member states but the Czech Republic.

A permanent president of the European Council should have been elected at the summit if all the 27 member states have ratified the treaty.

The summit is to discuss the Czech demand that the Czech Republic is given the same status already granted to Britain and Poland in relation to the treaty's Charter of Fundamental Rights.

At the summit, they must conclude the majority of the preparations required for the entry into force of the treaty, such as new working procedures for the European Council.

They are likely to give their support to a report laying the foundations for a future European external relations service.

The heads of state and government will on the second session on Friday to exchange views on the agreement on financial supervision to address the economic and financial crisis, recently concluded by the finance ministers.

The EU Baltic Sea Strategy is also on the agenda.

The summit is to discuss guidelines for the strategy, adopted by Ministers for EU Affairs on Oct. 26.

The EU ministers for foreign affairs are holding a separate dinner on Thursday on the EU's role as a global actor.