The European Union's executive confirmed today it would investigate whether a US decision to exclude Iraq war opponents from bidding for contracts to rebuild the country met world trade rules.
"The European Commission will now examine the 26 contracts at stake to examine whether these limitations to procurement for the reconstruction of Iraq is in line with the commitments undertaken by the United States in the...World Trade Organisation," the Commission said in a statement.
"As a first measure the European Commission will be requesting all necessary information from the US authorities concerned on the grounds for these limitations," it added.
The US government said earlier about the projects that for the "essential security interests of the United States" it was necessary "to limit competition for the prime contracts of these procurements to companies from the United States, Iraq, Coalition partners and force contributing nations".
The US decision has affected European Union members France and Germany as well as Russia.
