The European Union’s head office said today it would approve a variety of genetically modified corn for human consumption next week, ending a six-year biotech moratorium that the United States has challenged at the World Trade Organisation.

The European Commission has announced that it has ordered the immediate ban of imports into the EU of live birds and eggs from the US after an outbreak of bird flu in Texas.

The EC is expected to decide tomorrow to take finance ministers to court for letting Germany and France off the hook for violating euro budget rules.

The European Commission sought to quash allegations today that senior officials failed to act promptly against widening fraud allegations at the EU’s statistics agency.