Brussels, 05/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Union has gained approval from the World Trade Organisation in its dispute with the USA on compensatory duties to German steel producers for subsidies they received before they were privatised. Similar to the British Steel affair, where the so-called "gamma" approach of Washington was condemned by the WTO in 1993, the complaint lodged last August claimed that compensation was not justified because these companies that came out of this process and the former State owned firms, could not be considered as the sole and same entity, it was declared on Thursday in Brussels. Other similar cases are still pending. European steel companies having benefited from public aid before privatisation include Français Usinor, the Spanish company, Aceralia (now Acelor, a joint enterprise run together with the Luxembourg concern, Arbed), British company, Corus (ex-British Steel), Swedish company SSAB, the German, Dillinger an the Italian companies ASP, Cogne and Ilva.