(GENEVA) - The European Union offered Monday to make deeper tariff cuts on agricultural imports in order to spur progress in deadlocked trade talks, but the move was quickly dimissed by Brazil as "propaganda." "We're in a position to raise our average tariff cuts from 54 percent to 60 percent," EU trade spokesman Peter Power said. "This is a very considerable advance and it is a very substantial improvement and should inject important momentum into discussions in Geneva this week." But the offer, made as trade ministers met to try to salvage floundering trade liberalisation negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda, left Brazil, a key player among emerging market nations, unimpressed. "This number is a consequence of the different numbers on which the EU had already agreed on among themselves," said Roberto Azevedo, one of Brazil's leading negotiators. "This is not about a concession, but the consequences of negotiations," Azevedo added. "If they are proposing to cut, that's because they have the margin to do so," he added. Another member of the Brazilian delegation dismissed the offer by EU trade chief Peter Mandelson as mere "propaganda." Proposals drawn up by the World Trade Organisation's chief agricultural negotiator, New Zealand ambassador Crawford Falconer, envisage sweeping subsidy cuts by rich Western countries, which have often been accused by developing nations of undermining free trade and pushing their farmers into penury. The biggest subsidisers would make the biggest cuts, notably the EU, which would have to slash its payments to farmers by between 75 and 85 percent. Even before the extended offer was made, Mandelson had described the 54 percent cut as "painful" but a step Brussels was prepared to make to ensure a global trade deal. "In Europe, this once-in-a-generation effort will be painful. But it is on the table now because of our commitment to this Round and the multilateral trading system. It will not remain on the table indefinitely," the EU trade chief said. Mandelson is already under intense pressure from EU member states -- not least France which currently holds the EU presidency -- to avoid giving too much ground on trade in agriculture. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has already accused Mandelson of overstepping his mandate and offering too much on agriculture subsidies, while Irish trade minister John McGuinness said last week that the European Commission has gone "way too far" in its proposals. McGuinness stressed that the possibility that Ireland would veto a deal was an "option that is there." In a formal statement at the opening of talks at the WTO headquarters this morning, Mandelson said the EU was looking for a 'quid pro quo' approach and was not prepared to leave empty-handed. "We are prepared to offer more than others in this round, but everyone must understand that we need something in return," he said. Europe is looking for guarantees of progress in other fields such as industrial tariffs, the services sector and "geographical indicators" for key products such as certain types of wine or cheese.