The European Union's top court ruled today that an "open skies" aviation agreement between the Netherlands and the United States broke EU law.
The agreement was one of several bilateral deals that now stand to be replaced by a new pact between the EU as a whole and the United States to open transatlantic aviation to more competition.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided in 2002 that bilateral aviation trade deals between several EU governments and the United States violated the bloc's laws.
Today's announcement, made in a statement from the court, that the Dutch deal also violated EU rules was in line with a recommendation made in November by an adviser to the ECJ.