But with many nations reluctant to dip into depleted national coffers, richer western European countries will be expected to put up most of the six billion euros sought over the next three years.

If the pledges for the money come in, during the EU summit in Brussels, Europe hopes it will spur the rest of the developed world to chip in too.

But if the money is not forthcoming then the bloc's much-touted leading role in the battle against climate change will take a knock.

While EU leaders, meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, have already happily promised to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent over the next decade, the call to give cash now is another matter.

"It's a question of instant money, within the context of an economic crisis and squeezed budgets," as one European source put it.

"The Swedish EU presidency wants a precise figure, and it would be of the order of two billion euros per year" from Europe, another diplomatic source said.

The tensions are equally prevalent over emissions cuts.

Heavily coal-reliant Poland and others oppose an initiative to increase Europe's emission cuts from 20 percent to 30 percent if the rest of the world agrees similar measures.

European frustration heated up on Wednesday when Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt berated the United States for not matching Europe's ambitions in the battle against global warming.

EU figures published last week showed confirmed pledges from developed nations outside Europe would mean cuts of just 13 percent.

Reinfeldt, who will preside over the two-day summit, made it clear that, given the current level of pledges, the European leaders would not agree to bigger cuts.

In order to limit global warming to no more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times, going by broad scientific consensus despite mounting data challenges, countries are estimated to need emissions cuts of between 25 percent and 40 percent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels.

As for the hard cash for the developing world, Britain and Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency till the end of the year, have already promised to contribute some 1.5 billion euros between them between 2010-2012.

The 'fast start' money is deemed necessary to help pporer nations tackle global warming, and deal with its consequences, before a longer term post-Kyoto deal comes into effect.

But the other 25 EU nations, notably France, Germany, Italy and eastern EU powerhouse Poland, are much less keen to set figures.

"France will be generous," comes the cry from Paris, although still without pinning down a number.

Why reveal all before discovering the intentions of the world's other great historical polluters, others argue.

"We're not going to hand over a blank cheque so that others can wriggle out of their responsibilities," explained German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.

Or as Poland's European affairs minister, Mikolaj Dowgielewicz, put it: "nobody wants to pay for Copenhagen."

Sure enough, when the United Nations conference in Copenhagen opened on Monday, there was no concrete money on the table.

The EU summit will also be notable as the first to be held under the auspices of the bloc's reforming Lisbon Treaty which came into effect this month.

Concrete signs of that include a leaner summit meeting, with no ministers accompanying their heads of state and government, a move which is hoped to provide a closer, more efficient environment.

Also new EU Council president Herman Van Rompuy will be in attendance for the first time, though he is keeping a discreet profile until the end of the year so as not to tread on Sweden's toes.

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