The ongoing problem of where to house the new European Union food safety authority could be resolved by establishing an agency in both Finland and Italy.
After a year long battle over where the agency is going to be based, both countries came to an agreement last week that establishing an agency in each country might be the only way to resolve the problem.
Tensions have been flying during the past year as both countries have battled to host the agency. Many industry observers believe that wherever the agency is headquartered will lend added credence to the food and beverage industry there.
In recent years a series of crises, including mad cow disease and foot-and-mouth, have triggered calls for greater safety regulation in Europe. However, although the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is now up and running, the issue of establishing its headquarters still remains unresolved - an issue that many industry and political observers believe has continued to undermine its authority.
Although co-operation has been far from unanimous over the past year, Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen on Friday said that the joint Finnish-Italian proposal was testimony to EU unity.
"It indicates that small and large EU member countries are able to come to a compromise," he told a news conference two days before the Finnish general election.
Under the plan, the EFSA would be based in Helsinki, while an administrative body, issuing all-important safety certificates, would be based in Parma, Italy.
Italian Agriculture Minister Giovanni Alemanno said the proposal was a good compromise. More importantly the decision may well prevent the body being headquartered in Brussels, a move which would have no obvious benefits for either country.
If the proposal is accepted, EU official are expected to make a final decision around June.