A committee of MPs has warned the government not to expect swift agreement on rules that would govern the commercial planting of GM crops.

In a report published on Thursday, the environment, food and rural affairs committee said "the prospect of agreement is remote".

Ministers have announced in principle that they will allow the commercial cultivation of GM crops in the UK.

But details of the rules that will allow both GM and non-GM crops have yet to be finalised, and the MPs suggested that the government was no longer under any immediate pressure to finalise them.

Uncertainty remains about who will be liable in the event that GM crops contaminate non-GM crops such as those grown by organic farmers.

"The government may hope that now that the decision in principle has been made it will be easier to finalise the details of the planting regime," said the report.

"But it should be under no illusions: it is apparent that the prospect of agreement is remote."

The committee also predicted the government was likely to "proceed with great caution".

"There is no immediate prospect of commercial cultivation of GM maize, so the government is no longer under tight time constraints," noted the report.

But ministers were also warned that there is "no appetite at all amongst consumers for GM products".

"But now that the Europe-wide moratorium on new GM food, feed and crops has been lifted, it is important to establish co-existence and liability regimes," the study added.