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Top industrialists ask EU to return to trade talks

BRUSSELS, Oct 30 (Reuters) - European Trade chief Pascal Lamy came under fresh pressure to help revive failed world trade talks on Thursday, with some of Europe's most powerful business figures urging a quick EU return to the negotiating table.

Lamy, European trade commissioner, is trying to decide on the European Union's response to the collapse of World Trade Organisation talks in Cancun last month -- whether to continue to push to relaunch or strike more bilateral trade deals.

"It is the right moment to energetically re-engage with trading partners on the substance of the Doha Round," the European Round Table of Industrialists said in a statement, referring to the current round of global trade talks.

The group gathers 45 top businessmen, including Umberto Agnelli of Fiat , Marcus Wallenberg of Investor AB and Bernd Pischetsrieder of Volkswagen .

Other business associations have urged Lamy to return to the talks quickly, although the Frenchman has been wary.

He wants to make sure that other key WTO nations such as the United States and leading developing nations Brazil and India are committed to getting a deal after the Cancun collapse.

The industrialists' group noted support for the talks at the recent APEC summit in Thailand.

"Positions were not so far apart in Cancun. But flexibility is now needed, from the EU, the U.S. and all the key players, if the round is to succeed," it added.

The Doha talks, named after the Qatari capital where they were launched in 2001, were due to end by January 1, 2005. That deadline has been placed in doubt by all major trade players.