The EU will not appeal against a World Trade Organisation ruling that it illegally blocked genetically modified (GMO) food imports.
But the decision will not settle transatlantic differences over how the European Union allows GMO imports, which the majority of European consumers view with suspicion.
"The European Commission has decided not to appeal the GMO decision as the current regulatory provisions are not in any way affected by the judgment," a European Commission spokesman for trade issues said today.
"The current approval system works, as evidenced by the approval of 10 authorisations since the (WTO dispute) panel was established. More authorisations are in the pipeline."
Earlier this year, the WTO found that six EU countries had operated a de facto moratorium on GMO products, breaking global trade rules. At the time, the European Commission - the EU's executive arm - said it would not alter its policy on GMOs.
But US trade officials said the ruling left the EU with no choice but to start approving applications for GMO imports that had been stalled for months or even years in some cases.