The European Union heads into critical world trade talks this week hoping its signals of an improved agriculture offer will keep the pressure off Brussels.

But critics question whether it can put enough on the table to break the World Trade Organisation (WTO) deadlock without enraging member states like France that staunchly defend their farmers.

EU trade chief Peter Mandelson has said he can do more to open Europe’s farm markets if other key WTO players make concessions as well to save the WTO’s Doha round.

That has earned rare praise from Australia, which along with other big farm exporters such as Brazil have turned up the heat on the United States to do more on farm trade.

But few expect the EU or the United States can reach agreement at talks starting tomorrow in Geneva involving ministers from around the world. The talks were once supposed to settle the farm and industrial pillars of the WTO’s Doha round.

The United States has belittled the EU’s comments that it can move closer to demands of the G20 group of developing nations and says it is sticking to its much higher ambitions.

The EU contends Washington is making demands for access that Europe could not match and which would hurt some of the world’s poorest countries, whose export privileges would be eroded by a big cut in global farm import tariffs.

Without a deal by the end of July, the Doha round may be delayed for years due to President George W. Bush losing “fast-track” power to sign trade pacts.