The European Union said on Friday it would consider making deeper cuts to its farm import tariffs as part of a World Trade Organisation deal that risks running out of time soon.
A spokesman for EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said Brussels was prepared to move closer to, but not meet, the demands of developing countries in the G20 group who want the EU to slash its farm tariffs by an average of 54 percent.
Brussels has so far offered an average tariff cut of about 39 percent and Mandelson is under pressure not to offer much more on agriculture from EU countries with strong farm lobbies, chief among them France.
"In the right circumstances we can go further towards the G20 proposal but certainly not all the way," said Peter Power, Mandelson's spokesman.
The EU insists developing countries must offer more with planned cuts to their tariffs for industrial goods - a key area of interest for European companies - and is also pressing the United States to offer more on agriculture.
Previously Mandelson has said the EU might adjust its offer on agriculture but Friday's comment suggested more flexibility.
The specialist publication Inside US Trade, citing "informed sources", reported on Friday that Mandelson had signalled he could agree to cut the average EU agricultural import tariff by just under 50 percent.
"I am not prepared to discuss figures," Power said when asked about the report.
Top trade negotiators from the EU, the United States and other key WTO countries are due to meet on the sidelines of an annual meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris next week.