Global talks aimed at securing the first binding treaty on plastic pollution collapsed after 10 days of negotiations leaving diplomats frustrated and the process in limbo.

Delegates have hoped the Geneva talks would break a long standing deadlock, but the latest draft text failed to meet the expectations of countries pushing for an ambitious agreement.

Ecuador’s Luis Vayas Valdivieso, who chaired the negotiations, adjourned the session with the promise to reconvene at an unspecified date, drawing muted applause from weary negotiators.

Reactions from the floor underscored the disappointment. France’s ecology minister, Agnes Pannier Runacher said she was enraged that despite intensive work and genuine progress, the conference produced “no tangible results”.

Columbia’s delegates Haendel Rodriguez a “small number of states” of blocking consensus a veiled reference to oil- producing nations that oppose limits on virgin plastic production.

Earlier, warnings from diplomats and climate advocates had foreshadowed the outcome, noting the efforts of European Union and small island states to cap production, driven by petroleum coal and gas faced resistance from petrochemical exporters and the United States under President Donald Trump. The US delegation declined to comment after the talks.

More than 1,000 delegates from around the world had gathered in Geneva for the sixth round of negotiations under the UN’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC). A previous session in South Korea also ended without progress.

Negotiations in Geneva occurred late as country’s bridge division over key sticking points: capping plastic output, regulating harmful chemicals, regulating harmful chemicals, and securing finance for developing nations.

Many expressed their frustration over lack of breakthrough. Danish environment minister Magnus Heunicke speaking for EU, called the outcome “tragic and deeply disappointing” accusing come countries of deliberately blocking programs. Still, he vowed that Europe will continue pushing for row bust treaty to what he called one of the biggest pollution problems on Earth.

UN environment programme chief Inger Andersen acknowledged the setback but urged to continue efforts stressing that people want deal.

Environmental groups also voiced disappointment but welcomed the rejections of what they saw as a weak compromise. Ana Rocha of GAIA, an international alliance against plastics said that no treaty is better than a bad treaty.

For now, the future of treaty remains uncertain. While some nations, including Britain, want negotiations to resume, others warned the process to be broken. “It is very clear that the current process will not work,” South Africa’s delegate said.