Financial crisis to dominate EU summit

Financial concerns are likely to usurp other topics at the top of the agenda as leaders meet for an EU summit in Brussels.

Ahead of the talks British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is spearheading a European bank rescue package thrashed out at the weekend, met European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

Barroso urged the United States to join a global push for more regulation of financial systems. He said: “Europe is leading the global response and must continue to do so. An urgent priority is to further and deepen coordination at international level and specifically with the US.”

Brown called on all EU members to adopt the plan set out on Sunday by those countries that share the Euro currency. “I hope we will find an agreement for the whole of Europe on what needs to be done. That all countries within the EU will feel part of the programme that is necessary to stabilise financial systems and then to move the economy of Europe forward.”

The Brown-inspired rescue plan does not enjoy total support; the Czech government has questioned the wisdom of countries writing blank cheques to save their banks.

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