European leaders agreed to cooperate to manage migrants crossing the Balkans but offered no quick-fix to a crisis that threatens to take more lives as winter sets in.

Meeting in Brussels German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met leaders of nine countries on the route from the Aegean to Germany taken this year by half a million people, defying EU borders.

After talks throughout Sunday evening, the 11 governments issued a pledge to work together, along with a 17-point action plan that includes United Nations-aided accommodation for 100,000 people, half of them in Greece.

"Unilateral action may trigger a chain reaction," the joint statement read - reflecting what is already stated as a fact, as states have variously sealed off borders or moved and deposited busloads of un-documented migrants at their neighbours' frontiers.

"Countries affected should therefore talk to each other. Neighbours should work together along the route," the statement said.

"We have made very clear that the policy of simply waving people through must be stopped", host of the meeting Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EU executive said.

Merkel, who has opened Germany's borders to thousands of Syrians, called for the meeting just 10 days after the last of several full EU summit. It was urgent to find a humane solution for thousands of people stuck behind closing Balkan borders as winters begin, she said.

"The pictures of the last few days are not in line with our values," she told reporters after extracting agreement from her peers to provide shelter, food and care for people on the move.

"Europe must show it is a continent of values, a continent of solidarity", she said.

She also stressed the need to continue negotiations with Turkey, the main transit country to Europe for not only Syrian and Iraqi refugees but also large numbers of Afghans and Pakistanis.

Greek Prime Minister Tsipras said he was satisfied with the outcome. Greece has been criticized for failing to implement EU law on registering new arrivals. Nearly half a million people have been able to cross Greece largely un-documented this year.

After weeks of delay, other EU states have promised to take in refugees from Greece, once Greece starts documenting the incoming migrants.

Following Hungary's closures of its borders with Croatia, EU member Slovenia will receive 400 extra police to tackle the incoming migrants.

Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar called the deal "a step in the right direction".

He said Juncker's plan to coordinate an exchange of information among Balkan states, should help reduce chaos.
"If we don't deliver concrete action, I believe Europe will start falling apart".

Europeans should resist mass immigration by Muslims, said Hungarian Prime Minister, during the meeting.
The leaders in Brussels also stressed EU plans to speed up the deportation of those, notably from South Asia, deemed not in need of asylum.

The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, whose chief was at the meeting, will work with governments on that program.

Merkel stressed, however, that lasting solutions to the crisis would take a long time yet.