EU member nations on Wednesday approved the EU-China deal to give green light to around 80 million Chinese imports garments blocked at EU ports, the EU's executive body, the European Commission (EC) said.

"The meeting of the Textile Management Committee has concluded and member states have given the Commission the green light to pass this regulation," EC chief spokeswoman Francoise Le Bail told a press conference.

"So the (European) Commission will now make sure this regulation is approved as quickly as possible," she said.

The 25 member states' delegations in Brussels reached the agreement two days after EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson had struck a new deal in Beijing with Commerce Minister Bo Xilai to unblock the textile stockpiles.

However, it was revealed that Denmark, who favors complete free of limitations for textile, voted "no" to the deal.

The "no" vote did not prevent the deal from being put into effect for the voting abides by the rule of qualified majority.

According to Le Bail, the blocked goods would be finally released in the middle of next week.

"It was the textile management committee that gives final green light to the (European) Commission," the spokeswoman explained, saying the EC would make new regulations according to the EU-China deal and the regulations should be adopted "in five days."

"Normally by mid-next week, the goods that are blocked will be released," she said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 8, 2005)