§ The Council discussed the way forward for concluding accession negotiations with the candidate countries at the Copenhagen European Council on 12 and 13 December. The Presidency presented the results of informal consultations with the candidate countries, which, aided by the Commission, had led to `packages' being put together for each country. The Council decided that negotiating issues concerning the global amount (including the financial consequences of the agricultural quota proposals) as well as the question of direct income support in agriculture, be submitted to the European Council in Copenhagen, with a view to finalising the Union position. Solutions proposed by the Presidency on all other matters were accepted by the Council. Member states considered the Presidency's offer extremely generous and noted that the Council could go no further.