Egyptian exports to Europe are set to resume after EU states voted to partially lift an import ban placed in the wake of the continent's deadly E. coli outbreak in June.
The vote clears the way for the resumed export of some fresh vegetables, including green beans and peas.
But the 27-nation bloc's ban on imports of Egyptian seeds and sprouts will remain in place until at least the end of October, when it will be reviewed, a statement from the European Commission said.
"This decision follows a Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) audit in Egypt, which revealed no shortcomings in the production sites of leguminous vegetables," it read.
The European Union banned imports of some Egyptian beans and seeds for sprouting in July, after a batch of fenugreek seeds from the country was named the most likely cause of E. coli outbreaks which killed 46 in Europe.
More than 4,100 people in Europe and North America fell ill during two outbreaks of the E. coli infection -- one very large one centred in northern Germany and a smaller cluster around Bordeaux, France.
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