Brussels, 29/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - As the European Council opened at the end of the afternoon on Thursday, the president of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, called on the leaders of the 27 member states to reach an agreement, at the summit, on burden sharing between member states when it comes to the EU contribution to international funding of the fight against climate change. “If we want to show solidarity to the less developed countries in the world, we need to first start with solidarity at home”, Mr Buzek said. The basic criteria for cost sharing between the 27 member states should be GNP, Mr Buzek of Poland told the heads of state and government. He also called on them to accept the Czech Republic's request for an “opt-out” on the Charter for Fundamental Rights in the Lisbon Treaty to ensure the new treaty enters into effect as rapidly as possible. Mr Buzek warned against a new gas supply crisis during the winter. “The threat to the disruption of gas supply is still real”, he said, calling on leaders to “accelerate work on a mechanism of energy solidarity in case of a crisis” and to “maintain the timetable proposed by the Commission”. The EP president also called for the creation of a European Energy Community. As far as the economic and financial crisis is concerned, Mr Buzek called on the European Council to find “ways of stimulating growth and getting people back to work”. On financial supervision, Mr Buzek gave his assurance that the ESP would work closely with the Council for the creation of a European Systemic Risk Board, as well as on a European Supervisory Authority, once the Commission has presented its proposal (this December). With regard to the European External Action Service (ECAS), the European diplomatic service, Mr Buzek reiterated the EP's position in favour of integrating this service into the Commission's administrative structure. His is “not to strengthen the competence of the Commission but to continue developing the community model in the EU's external relations”, he pointed out. The report by Coreper (which does not follow this request of the EP) should be considered by the leaders as no more than a “recommendation” and “not a blueprint for action”, the EP president said, also stating that he hoped the future permanent president of the European Council would be a woman (see related article). (H.B./transl.jl)