Brussels, 13/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - European trade ministers, meeting in Brussels on 13 May, encouraged the Commission to continue with its efforts to try to find a way out of the deadlock in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations, said János Martonyi speaking on behalf of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. “We hope that the EU's constructive approach will be recognised by most participants”, he added. Welcoming the Council's support, Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said that, at the end of April, the EU had tabled a compromise solution for sectoral agreements, aiming to eliminate tariffs in 14 key industrial sectors. This compromise focuses on three segments where the stumbling block is located - machine tools, electronics and chemicals - and it is hoped that it will satisfy both the developed and developing countries. De Gucht said the EU was working on that front and did not want to give up on a viable compromise. He had, however, to acknowledge there was still some distance between the big players, but hoped that the EU's main partners would share its commitments. He said that the EU had already held detailed discussions on its proposal with the G7 - Australia, Brazil, China, United States, India, Japan and the EU - at the WTO last week. Wide gulfs had still to be bridged, but that was not linked to the EU proposal, he said. “We want to establish a bridge on the sectoral agreements chapter”, he added. With the Asia-Pacific Forum due to meet on 16 May, then the OECD on 24-25 May and the G8 in Deauville, France on 28 May, “we will know more by the end of the month”, he stated. (E.H./transl.rt)