Brussels, 16/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - In a conclusions document on how to finance measures to tackle climate change in poor countries, a document adopted by the EU27 finance ministers on Tuesday 16 March 2010, the politicians reaffirm the pledges made by the EU and its Member States to rapidly provide some €2.4 billion in finance for 2010-2012. The EU urges the other parties to the UN deal to announce their contributions but has not given any indication of how the EU's share will be divided up among its Member States. EU heads of state were unable to decide on the issue at the October 2009 European Council (see EUROPE) and the question has remained open ever since. In October, the heads of state decided to set up a working group to decide on burden-sharing but because of disappointment outcome of the UN's conference in Copenhagen, no real progress has been made and the working group is expected to be put on hold. This, at least, is what the Spanish Presidency is suggesting, after examining progress at the working group, which has met twice so far (once under the Swedish Presidency in early December 2009 and once under the Spanish Presidency in January 2010). The Copenhagen Agreement is not legally binding and in any case does not indicate how burden-sharing is to be carried out so most countries want the issue to be clarified before any further work is carried out. The working group will therefore be put on hold until the European Summit decides on the broad mechanism for the EU's contribution (and potential revenue sources) to the €100 billion a year that the rich world decided under the Copenhagen Agreement to jointly provide the world's poor countries by 2010. (A.B. trans fl)