Brussels, 28/11/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Council did not reach an agreement on Thursday on the criteria giving right to asylum status or alternative protection. Germany raised two reservations, Council sources say: - 1) it returned to the consensus reached at the informal JHA meeting in Copenhagen on the fact that the prosecution by non-state agents may also give right to refugee status; 2) it poses the question of granting refugee status to persons who state they are in danger because of their political opinions, but who only begun to proclaim these opinions once outside their country of origin (EUROPE of 23 November, p.15, and 14 September, p.8). This text will again be on the Council agenda on 20 December, in the hope of reaching a political agreement. Rights linked to this status, which make up the second part of the same proposal, will be examined next term.