So far efforts to agree on a quota increase have failed, although some agreement is expected today.

"Consumers have been asking for it," he said of the quota increase.

A 500,000-tonne quota increase for Spain has been cleared.

The most recent quota increase, for instance, will raise the cartel's daily production to 27.5 million barrels.

Nigeria has been seeking a quota increase as part of a plan to double its daily production in the next several years.

"We're very, very close on all the major elements of a quota increase," he said.

The United States had previously said it would accept a quota increase of 45 percent.

The issue of an additional 2% quota increase is, on the other hand, debatable.

Any quota increase should be linked to a Community study.

I agree with the European farmers' demand to drop the quota increase.