Brussels, 21/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - Poland wanted more time to be granted to assess the draft directive on the patentability of software, and requested on Tuesday that the Dutch Presidency withdraw the issue from point A on the agenda of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, which the Dutch Presidency proceeded to do because the issue had only actually been put on the agenda at the last minute (so request from a single Member State was sufficient for it to be removed). After formally endorsing the political agreement reached in May 2004, the Council's regulation now has to be approved by qmv again. The Luxembourg Presidency will now deal with the matter. (See yesterday's Europe, p.10, on the call by the Greens at the European Parliament for the directive to be abandoned.)