(OTTAWA) - Canada's trade minister on Monday "welcomed" a WTO panel report critical of the EU, US and Canada for ignoring global trade rules in a row over beef treated with growth hormones.

The World Trade Organization earlier confirmed that the European Union's 1989 ban on imports of Canadian beef from cattle treated with growth hormones is inconsistent with the EU's WTO obligations.

Both Canada and the United States opposed the ban, citing a lack of scientific reasons for it.

But the global trade body also found in its report that the US and Canada did not follow WTO procedures strictly to the letter by maintaining retaliatory measures against Brussels.

Regardless, Trade Minister David Emerson said in a statement: "The WTO has once again sided with Canada by confirming that the ban is inconsistent with the EU's international trade obligations."

"We hope that the EU will lift its ban."

"This ruling once again shows that Canada is playing by the rules and delivering safe, healthy food to markets around the world," echoed Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.

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