However, they stopped short of asking him to take the controversial step of drafting a deal himself.

Lamy told reporters he would "crack heads together, consult and confess, so we can get to the numbers."

Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile appeared less pessimistic than his counterparts.

"We keep finding creative ways of keeping the process moving. You think that you run into a dead end and then you find a new way forward," he said.

However, Vaile cautioned: "The drop-dead date is the end of July."

The impasse in Geneva once again exposed the deep divisions between rich and poor countries, as well as among the wealthy, which have dogged the Doha Round.

"There is no need to pretend that this has not been a failure," said India's Minister of Commerce, Kamal Nath.

"We came to the conclusion that there is just not any negotiating space, because there is really a difference of perception."

Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said developing countries were "prepared to negotiate" but also threw down the gauntlet.

"The burden of leadership in this particular case has to be on those who have more to give, and those are of course the richer countries," he said.

In one sign of a potential thaw during the Geneva meeting, Mandelson said Brussels was ready to go beyond its existing offer of a 46-percent cut in agricultural tariffs by moving closer to the 54-percent cut proposed by the G20, a developing country bloc led by Brazil and India.

"Whilst the European Union and G20 do not have identical positions, we are now much closer together than we were and convergence is within reach. But it's essential, for an agreement to be struck, for the main players to come together," Mandelson said.

The United States took most of the flak in Geneva over payouts to American farmers, which allegedly allow US agribusiness to undercut its competitors.

Critics say proposed US cuts lack bite, something the US denies. Washington has shown no sign of giving ground, in turn demanding more concessions from the EU on farm tariffs.

The EU and the United States are also seeking deeper cuts in the import duties emerging economies levy on industrial goods.