HIGHLIGHTS - EU summit on stimulus and climate package

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The following are comments by European Union leaders in connection with their two-day summit starting on Thursday, where they will debate a 200 billion euro (177.6 billion pound) EU-wide stimulus package and measures to tackle climate change.

BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER YVES LETERME

"Today's summit is about our children. We need to strike the right balance between the needs of the economy and the needs of the environment."

EUROGROUP CHAIRMAN JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER

On need for budget consolidation:

"It must be clear to everyone that when the economy returns to the path of growth, budgetary consolidation must resume vigorously."

On latest ECB rate cut:

"I do think that this was a step which had to be taken, it's up to the bank to assess the volume of its interest (rate) cuts."

"It was a step in the right direction."