European leaders will meet next week for a crisis summit on Iraq as deep divides open up over a looming Gulf War.

Downing Street confirmed on Tuesday that the EU council of ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss the findings of UN weapons inspector Hans Blix.

The European Commission had already backed proposals from EU presidency Greece for an "extraordinary" gathering of national leaders in a bid to overcome Europe's splits on how to tackle Saddam Hussein.

EU foreign ministers will meet to give an initial response and then the heads of government will convene later that evening.

"It's an opportunity for European countries to take stock of the situation in respect of Iraq," said the prime minister's official spokesman.

Number 10 repeated its now familiar line that although there were differences, there was broad agreement of the need to tackle Saddam Hussein.

"Clearly there are countries that aren't on the same page as us, we're certainly not in the minority," added the spokesman.

Convening the special summit is seen as a serious bid to raise the EU's flagging profile as a player in the Iraq debate.

UK officials have given the move a cautious welcome as Britain waits to see what will be on the table.

Athens has highlighted the crisis with Iraq as the "main item" on the EU agenda as rifts over strategy intensify.

European nations opposed to the drift to war hardened their stance after Denmark, Spain, Italy and Portugal joined with Tony Blair in signing a letter backing US president George Bush.

The initiative infuriated France, Belgium and Germany - raising the political temperature and reinforcing the determination of anti-war countries to block US-led military strikes.

As Europe's capitals line up against one another, fear has grown that a consensus forged at a previous European summit backing UN resolutions on Iraq has been breached.

The European Commission president, Romano Prodi, took to the Italian press to plead for unity.

Despite the commission's limited foreign policy role, his Brussels spokesman conceded that divisions were damaging the EU's credibility.

"Clearly we are not united at the moment. But Europe must develop a united front to be credible in such a situation. That is why we welcome the idea of this extraordinary summit," he said.

"It will allow EU leaders to compare their different views and hopefully reach consensus."

"If Europe is going to be credible and have clout it must speak with one voice."

But the EU's national rifts are surfacing in NATO too, as alliance members continue to come to blows over whether to back measures to defend Turkey.

France, Belgium and Germany are resisting any pre-emptive build-up of European military resources in the country, seen as the Europe's frontline with the Middle East in any conflict with Iraq.