EU backs Mandelson's approach to WTO deadlock

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union trade chief Peter Mandelson got support from EU countries on Monday to push for a better deal for European companies in global trade talks, but Ireland again warned against further farm concessions.

With the World Trade Organisation talks entering a decisive phase, EU foreign ministers expressed "support for the (European) Commission in seeking the further improvements" in the negotiations, a joint statement said.

The EU, the United States and other rich economies want big developing nations such as Brazil and South Africa to open their economies more for manufactured goods and services, as part of the WTO's long-delayed Doha round of global trade talks.

Last month, several EU states led by France accused Mandelson of offering too many concessions on farm trade for little return from other WTO countries.

Since then, Mandelson has stressed the need for movement by other countries. He warned last week that the Doha round faced a high risk of failure without such concessions.

The round was launched in 2001 in a bid to boost the global economy and help poor countries fight poverty by lowering barriers to trade around the world. But they have missed deadline after deadline as rich and poor countries argued.

"The message from the member states was absolutely clear -- they want the Doha round to succeed," Mandelson told Reuters after meeting the foreign ministers, adding the bloc was prepared to maintain its offer to cut farm import tariffs as long as other countries also made concessions.

"If my negotiating partners want to continue to see me pushing this boulder uphill, as I am determined to do, they are going to have to show greater flexibility and a greater sense of realism about how this negotiation is going to come out."

He described the meeting as "good and supportive."