Brussels, 26/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - During Monday's Agriculture Council, France, Austria, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium requested the Commission to grant refunds for pork meat exports (fresh frozen meat and processed products, a sector in which the EU has had difficulties in dealing with efficiently with regard to competition from other supplier counties such as Brazil and certain countries from the East (especially since the significant rise in the value of the Euro compared to the dollar). Such discounts have not been in force since June 2000 following the crisis experienced by this sector. Commissioner Franz Fischler was not keen on agreeing to this request and explained that EUR 33 million had already been allocated from the Community budge for private supplies.