After Asian stock markets charged higher earlier, European stocks opened firm, with Frankfurt's DAX 30 gaining 0.73 percent to 6,014.36 points, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index adding 0.42 percent to 5,511.60 points and in Paris the CAC 40 rising 0.61 percent to 3,190.71.

On Sunday, European leaders, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and IMF chief Christine Lagarde, said "good progress" had been made in talks on the debt crisis that has threatened the world economy.

Nevertheless, markets would have to wait until a second summit for the exact details to be announced.