(LONDON) - This year represents the last chance to sort out a global trade liberalisation deal and it would be "verging on the criminal" to fail, the European Union's trade chief insisted Friday.

The progress achieved so far would otherwise turn to "mush" during time away from the negotiating table in 2009, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson told BBC radio.

The Doha round of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks to reduce trade barriers was launched in the Qatari capital in November 2001 but has foundered ever since, principally in disputes between developed and developing countries.

"It is for the forseeable future the last chance for these talks," said Mandelson, adding that 2009 would be a "dead year" as a new US administration begins in the first half and the European Commission changes in the second.

"That will take us to 2010. My fear would be that by then what's on the table, which is very substantial, will have largely turned to mush and I think many of the developing countries will have marched off from the table so we're facing a very, very urgent time limit now."

The British politician rejected suggestions that rich countries simply did not want to give up their privileges.

"What's on the table is very substantial already, not just in agriculture but in some other areas of the negotiations, although in industrial goods and tariffs we have got some considerable work to do," he said.

"If we miss the opportunity to achieve that and to seal that deal it will represent a huge loss to developing countries. It will also deliver a considerable setback to the WTO.

"It would be irresponsible and verging on the criminal if we were to allow this opportunity to slip from our grasp."

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