The European Commission in Tokyo on Thursday called into question the financial aid that the Japanese government has given to Boeing for the development of its 7E7 Dreamliner airplane, alleging the US company is attempting to circumvent a 1992 EU-US agreement on subsidies.

The move came a day after the US and the European Union launched the biggest dispute in the history of the World Trade Organisation, accusing each other of offering massive subsidies to Boeing and Airbus, their respective flagship aircraft makers.