Honey that contains traces of pollen from genetically modified crops needs special authorization before it can be sold in Europe, the European Union's top court said Tuesday, in a judgment that could have widespread consequences on the bloc's policy on genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.

The ruling from the European Court of Justice came after several Bavarian beekeepers demanded compensation from their government for honey and food supplements that contained traces of pollen from genetically modified maize.

The beekeepers had their hives close to fields where the Bavarian government was growing Monsanto's MON 810 maize for research purposes.

The EU has strict guidelines on authorizing and informing consumers about foods containing GMOs — a policy that has caused problems for producers of genetically modified seeds such as U.S.-based Monsanto Co. that are used to much laxer rules in other parts of the world.

Kelli Powers, a spokeswoman for Monsanto, said the company could not provide detailed comment on the ruling until the firm had a chance to read the entire judgment.

But Powers emphasized that the company's engineered corn seed has been approved as safe for human consumption.

A federal court has approved the government's conditions placed on Comcast's takeover of NBCUniversal.

In an order Thursday, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C., tacked on a two-year oversight period that aims to protect competitors who want to distribute NBCUniversal video content online.

He ordered the government and Comcast to report annually on online video competitors who attempt to arbitrate disputes either through the Federal Communications Commission or an arbitration process set up as part of the takeover.

Comcast took 51 percent control of NBCUniversal in January after paying General Electric Co. $6.2 billion and contributing channels worth $7.25 billion to the new entity.

Among other conditions, the Justice Department and the FCC forced Comcast to relinquish decision-making power related to its minority stake in online video service Hulu.

A court ruling that invalidates Morgantown's ban on Marcellus shale gas drilling gives West Virginia's oil and gas producers the certainty they need to keep expanding operations, an industry leader said Monday.

"We all along believed the city of Morgantown and some other communities in the state don't have the right to pre-empt the regulatory powers of the Department of Environmental Protection," said Corky DeMarco, executive director of the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association.

"It would be very, very difficult for the DEP to do any oversight with the potential of 100 different sets of rules to comply with," he said.

On Friday, Monongalia County Circuit Court Judge Susan Tucker delivered a victory to Charleston-based Northeast Natural Energy in its legal battle with the city of Morgantown.

Northeast is drilling wells above the Monongahela River about a mile from a city drinking water intake. Citing concern over its water supply and the lack of tough state regulations, the City Council passed an ordinance in June to ban deep horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing within city limits and up to a mile beyond.