Leaders also support streamlining the licensing procedures for genetically modified crops, The Independent reported. Jose Manuel Barroso, head of the European Commission, warned that Europeans could end up paying more for food than others around the world because of the barriers to use of genetic modification.

The obstacles placed by European rules, which combine action by the union and its member countries, also drive up the cost of animal feed, Barroso said.

The European Commission has urged all member states that ban genetically modified crops to change their rules.