EU says WTO proposals are "useful step forward"

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union welcomed proposals on Tuesday on how to solve key areas of disagreement in global trade talks, calling them "a useful step forward".

"Our first reaction is that the texts provide a basis for further work in the Doha round, although there are points on which we have important concerns and other significant issues in the negotiations that are not included in these texts," the EU's executive Commission said in a statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, mediators of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) troubled Doha round of global free trade talks proposed compromise texts for ways to free up trade in farm and industrial goods.