In a stinging rebuff to the EU's executive arm, an overwhelming majority of countries -- at least 21 out of the bloc's 27 member states -- voted against draft orders for Vienna and Budapest to end their GM crop bans within 20 days.

It was the third time that the Commission had tried to get Austria's bans lifted and the second time for Hungary, with all the attempts roundly rejected by ministers in the past.

Hungary's ban relates to MON 810 maize, developed and marketed by U.S. biotech company Monsanto and the only GM crop that may so far be commercially grown in the EU. The Commission first tried to get the ban lifted in February 2007.

Austria used to have a ban on the import and processing of both GM maize products but was ordered to lift them in May 2008.