Brussels, 20/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - At its meeting in Brussels on Monday under the chairmanship of Luis Capoulos Santos, the Agriculture Council reached consensus on the communication and the two Commission legislative proposals aimed at operating selective reductions (according to product) in export refunds for processed products containing agricultural raw ingredients (goods outside annex I). The Council's conclusions support the Commission's approach. The United Kingdom and Germany rallied together after having noted their respective concerns in two separate declarations (whisky for the United Kingdom, the impact of the new system on employment within SMEs, for Germany), and urged the Commission to take proportionate and balanced measures. The ministers also held an exchange of views on the chapter devoted to controls in the White Paper on food safety. In the evening, they began their policy debate on co-funding (Community/Member States) proposed by the Commission for the school milk distribution programme. At dinner, they were to hold a discussion on the credit cuts envisaged in budget 2001 (to help finance reconstruction of Kosovo).