The World Trade Organization officially published its report on a complaint by the three countries going back to 2003 and charging that a European moratorium on GMO imports was more about trade protectionism than concerns about the health of consumers or the environment.

They accused the EU of abusing a WTO agreement that enables members to restrict imports on health grounds.

The EU had argued that the moratorium was needed to give it time to gather data from biotech firms and decide how to update its rules on GMOs.

Most of the WTO report, which until now had been confidential, was leaked last February, with all parties involved thinking they had won their cause.

The official publication of the report, which takes no stand on the safety debate over GMOs, allows for a legal delay of 60 days for appeals to be filed. When asked Friday, the parties concerned said no decision had yet been made about an appeal.

The 1,050-page report, the biggest ever done by the world trade regulators, said the EU must comply with the rules of global commerce, set by the 149 trading nations in the WTO.

The Geneva-based body can authorize retaliatory customs duties against members who fail to respect its decisions.

While the EU lifted the overall GMO moratorium in 2004, and therefore escaped WTO condemnation, six individual member states kept the restricutions in place.

The WTO report objected to bans on nine genetically modified products imposed by six EU countries -- Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg.

The WTO ruled that the restrictions were not based on risk evaluations in accordance with international sanitary rules.

In Washington US officials hailed the latest WTO move.

"The WTO has ruled in favor of science-based policymaking over the unjustified, anti-biotech policies adopted in the EU," US Trade Representative Susan Schwab said.

Added Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns: "Today's decision affirms what the world's farmers have known about biotechnology for many years.

"Since the first biotechnology crops were commercialized in 1996, we've seen double-digit increases in their adoption every single year. Biotechnology crops not only are helping to meet the world's food needs, they also are having a positive environmental impact on our soil and water resources."

The GMO issue is emotionally charged as European consumers have proven wary of genetically modified foods.

Pro-GMO groups say concerns about their use are unscientific and note that farmers who grow such insect-resistant crops do not need to spray harmful pesticides.

But opponents say too few studies have been done -- and too little time has elapsed since commercial production started in earnest a decade ago -- to be sure that GMOs are entirely safe for the environment and human health.