Brussels: EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson today urged developing countries to yield ground in crunch World Trade Organisation negotiations.

"The emerging economies must now engage in a serious negotiation," Mandelson told the European Parliament's foreign trade panel.

Last week, the WTO submitted new proposals on agriculture and industry to its 152 members in an effort to revive the stalled Doha round of trade liberalisation talks, launched in the Qatari capital in November 2001.

Ironing out differences in farm and industrial goods areas has long dogged negotiators while the pace of talks on services is also considered to have lagged.

Europe is demanding greater market access on industrial goods from emerging countries and is offering to cut some of its generous support for the European agriculture sector in return.

"The excuse from the emerging economies that we cannot negotiate on NAMA (non-agriculture market access) because we need clarity on agriculture no longer holds water," Mandelson said. "There are no more excuses."

"Any developed or emerging economy that thinks it can come to the Doha table empty-handed on industrial goods will go home the same way because on that basis I could not sell a political deal in Europe and I would not try," he said.

WTO negotiators are struggling to make headway in the long-stalled negotiations, with time running out before a new US president takes office early next year, drawing in effect a deadline for a deal.

Source : PTI