"The two main trading blocs have to lead by example and find the common ground," EU Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler said at the end of an informal three-day meeting of 25 trade ministers from both rich and poor countries.

The United States and the EU have been at loggerheads in negotiations on agriculture in current world trade talks, known officially as the Doha Development Agenda.

Both sides showed some signs of movement at the meeting this week. But deep differences on the scope of proposed cuts in domestic farm spending, export subsidies and agricultural tariffs remain, raising questions about how much progress the two sides can really make in the short time left.

Negotiators meet in Geneva on Aug. 11 for a final two weeks of intense talks ahead of the Sept. 10-14 World Trade Organisation meeting in Cancun, Mexico.

Without at least a broad agreement on agriculture by that meeting, there is little chance for progress in other areas such as services and manufactured and consumer goods.

Agriculture is a key area for most of the countries involved in the WTO talks. Many have sore memories of being left out of US-EU "Blair House" negotiations that paved the way for the 1994 Uruguay Round world trade pact.

US and EU officials emphasised they were asked by other trading partners to try to craft a deal that would be acceptable to the broad membership.

"We don't want another Blair House. At the end, we want a full House," Fischler said.