The European Commission has approved a proposal to allow the import of a genetically modified type of maize.
EU ministers who imposed a moratorium on GM food products in 1998 now have three months to decide whether they agree. The Commission has said it is time to allow genetically modified maize, known as Bt11 into the European Union. If ministers cannot agree on how to respond, the commission has the power to implement its proposal anyway.
In a vote on the same subject last month, Britain and Spain voted in favour of lifting the ban. France led another group of countries which voted against, while Germany and Italy were among those who abstained. The US has filed a complaint against the EU with the World Trade Organisation, saying the EU is acting illegally.