Along with 10 other EU member States, Malta lost its battle against the approval of the cultivation of GM potatoes.

Eleven ministers at last week’s Agriculture Council of the EU – representing Austria, Luxembourg, Latvia, Greece, Ireland, Cyprus, Denmark, Poland and Hungary – voted against while ministers representing 10 countries – Finland, Estonia, UK, Slovakia, Holland, Lithuania, Belgium, Sweden, Czech Republic and Germany – voted in favour and six – Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania and France – abstained.

But the qualified majority rules worked out that the proposal attracted 130 votes in favour, 119 votes were against and 96 abstained. Since the qualified majority, in this case amounting to 156 votes, had not been reached, the decision is now in the hands of the European Commission.

The issue under discussion was the approval of the first commercial cultivation of a genetically modified crop in the EU since 2001.

BASF, the German chemical group, wanted permission to sell Amflora, a GM potato, for industrial use in items such as packaging and paper coatings. It will not be used in food.

Throughout the long-drawn out deadlock among the member States, the Commission backed BASF’s proposal. Approval is likely in the “coming months’” the Commission said last week.

EU countries are sharply divided over the use of genetically modified crops, which arouse public opposition. The failure to forge an agreement last week underlined the tensions.

Only a few varieties of GM crops can be grown in the EU and imports are supposed to be tightly monitored. However, production trials of GM potatoes are under way in the UK, Germany and Sweden.

The European Food Safety Authority found the BASF-produced potato to be safe for cultivation as it did not cross-pollinate or produce toxins.

A spokeswoman for the European Commission said: “There is no risk in using the potato. In this case, the scientific evidence is irrefutable.”

But according to those contrary to its approval, there is also the possibility of using the vegetal part of the tuber as fodder for animals and this would be introducing the GM crop into the food chain.

However, Greenpeace, the environmental pressure group, has called on ministers to reject the product, warning that the EU was letting in genetically engineered crops through the back door.

Last month, the EU’s trade chief warned the EU should embrace genetically modified crops or fall foul of international rules.

Peter Mandelson, the trade commissioner, said Europe was also damaging its economy by soft-pedalling on GM approvals in the face of public pressure.

The US takes 15 months to approve GM crops but it can take considerably longer in the EU. From 2001 to 2004, the EU delayed backing crops as it overhauled its labelling and approval rules.