Washington has pressed the EU to deny some Iranian banks access to the world financial system.
European External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told reporters after the summit:
"We want to indeed show to Iranians that we mean it very seriously. (We are) particularly thinking of asset freezes."
An Iranian newspaper said Iran was withdrawing assets from European banks and converting some foreign exchange assets into gold and equities to neutralise the impact of sanctions.
MORE COOPERATIVE
Bush was accused by critics of "cowboy diplomacy" during much of his presidency, but has tried to take a more cooperative approach with allies in his second term.
He acknowledges he is unpopular in Europe, as well as at home. "A lot of people like America. They may not sometimes necessarily like the president," he told Slovenia's Pop TV before setting off from Washington.
On climate change, EU policymakers say they have given up trying to get Washington to join with the bloc in signing up now to binding cuts of greenhouse gas emissions.
Bush reiterated on Tuesday that the United States would not agree to cuts until big developing nations made commitments too:
"Unless China and India are at table, unless they agree to a goal, unless they agree to firm strategies to achieve that goal, I don't see how any international agreement can be effective."
Money matters are also figuring in Bush's week-long trip.
He confirmed his strong-dollar policy, despite the currency's slump to new lows against the euro recently.
"We believe in a strong dollar and that the relative value of economies will end up setting the valuation of the dollar," Bush told Tuesday's news conference.
Reflecting a seeming indifference among locals to a visiting U.S. president with less than eight months left in office, no demonstrators were seen in the heavily guarded streets of Slovenian capital Ljubljana, near the summit venue.
