Reuters is reporting that the European Union is no longer investigating allegations that the United States illegally subsidized and dumped ethanol on the European Market. The European Commission, which is the executive body of the European Union, conducted an 11-month investigation. During that time, the Commission says it found no evidence that such action had been taken by the U.S.

In a document on the anti-subsidy proceedings that Reuters is said to have seen, the charges were dropped because the U.S. had stopped the main subsidy scheme and the Commission felt that retaliatory measures were unnecessary. The Commission also is to have said in the document that “No more measures shall be imposed if the subsidy or subsidies have been withdrawn or it has been demonstrated that the subsidies no longer confer any benefit on the exporters concerned.”

However, a Reuters source said that if the U.S. reintroduces the ethanol blender’s tax credit over the next six months, then the investigation would be re-opened. If not, then the case is closed. The ethanol excise tax credit or 45 cents per gallon expired at the end of 2011.