EU cash is boost to Copenhagen: UN climate chief

COPENHAGEN: UN climate chief Yvo de Boer on Friday said European plans to contribute billions of euros to early funding on tackling global warming were a major boost to the talks unfolding in Copenhagen.

"One of the things that has been holding this process back is lack of clarity on how short-term financial support is going to be provided to developing countries," de Boer said.

"And the fact that Europe is going to put a figure on the table will, I think, be hugely encouraging to the process.

"We will then have to see what other rich countries are going to put on the table." Earlier, diplomats in Brussels said the 27 nations of the European Union had agreed 7.2 billion euros ($10.8 billion) to help developing nations tackle climate change.

The amount accounts for roughly a quarter of the $30 billion envisioned over the three years starting on 2010.

The administration of President Barack Obama said last week that the United States was ready to pay a "fair share" of 10 billion dollars during the 2010-2012 period.