The European Union's agriculture commissioner said she had used talks here to listen to the new Democratic majority in Congress rather than to negotiate on the WTO.

Mariann Fischer Boel told reporters: "I came first of all to listen and get a flavor of the situation after the mid-term elections and the change of power on the (Capitol) Hill.

"I am underlining that the purpose of this visit was not to negotiate," the Danish EU commissioner added.

Fischer Boel met top lawmakers in Congress along with US Trade Representative Susan Schwab and Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns during two days of meetings.

Bitter divisions over farm trade between the United States and EU are blamed for pushing the "Doha Round" negotiations of the World Trade Organization into their current deadlock.

Last week, Johanns presented a new farm bill that proposes to cut US agriculture spending by at least 10 billion dollars over the next five years while leaving generous subsidies largely intact.

"If a deal in Doha is available, then you need to adapt the farm bill," Fischer Boel insisted.