The World Trade Organization is due to rule on whether the European Union’s unofficial moratorium on approvals of genetically modified (GMO) crops and foods, which ran from 1998 to 2004, restricted trade.

During the moratorium, the EU refused the experimental or commercial growth of new gene crops or imports of new GMO-based food products. In or before 1998, approval was given for 18 biotech plants, including maize, rapeseed, chicory and soybeans.