Warsaw - Prime Minister Donald Tusk launched talks Tuesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on a European Union climate package which faces criticism from coal-reliant Poland.

Tusk and Merkel were also expected to discuss an upcoming EU summit in Brussels, and a Polish-Swedish proposal that calls for stronger EU ties with former Soviet bloc nations like Georgia.

Merkel's visit to Warsaw was to include talks on the financial crisis and Polish-German relations, Tusk's top aide told the Polish Press Agency.

The meeting comes on the eve of an EU climate change summit on December 11-12, which is planned to put in place a system to force heavy industries to buy permits to emit carbon dioxide.

Poland, which relies on coal for more than 90 per cent of its energy, says the proposal would almost double the price of electricity for Polish consumers. (dpa)