After five days of discussions in the Czech capital, discord persisted on the volume of exemptions which could be agreed in 2006, the programme's executive director Klaus Toepfer said.

"We don't have a solution at this very moment," Toepfer told journalists Friday afternoon.

But, according to delegates, it was likely that the international community would next June take a decision on exemptions at a special reunion which would probably be held in Montreal.

Developed countries were due to stop using methyl bromide at the end of 2004 under the terms of the Montreal Protocol, an international accord agreed in 1987 to eliminate substances believed to have caused the hole in the ozone layer.

But 11 countries, led by the United States, obtained an exemption in March totalling 13,348 tonnes, mainly for fumigating fragile products such as tomatoes and strawberries.

During the meeting of Montreal Protocol signatories, which was held all week, delegates did reach a consensus to increase the volume of exemptions for 2005 by around 3,000 tonnes more.

"2005 was resolved," said Toepfer.

In 2006 the exempt countries asked to be allowed to use a total of 15,300 tonnes while UN scientific experts advocated limiting the volume of exemptions to 11,740 tonnes.

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