COCOA BUFFER STOCK COMPROMISE GAINING ACCEPTANCE A final compromise proposal on cocoa buffer stock rules presented by International Cocoa Organization, ICCO, council chairman Denis Bra Kanon is swiftly gaining acceptance by consumer and producer members, delegates said. "We are close, nearer than ever to accepting it, but we still have some work to do," producer spokesman Mama Mohammed of Ghana told Reuters after a producers' meeting. European Community, EC, delegates said EC consumers accepted the package in a morning meeting and predicted "no problems" in getting full consumer acceptance. Delegates on both sides are keen to come to some agreement today, the last day of the fortnight-long council meeting, they said. The compromise requires that buffer stock purchases from non-ICCO member countries cannot exceed 15 pct of total buffer stock purchases, delegates said. The non-member cocoa issue has been among the most contentious in the rules negotiations. The 15 pct figure, up five percentage points from earlier proposals, represents a concession to consumers, delegates said. They have demanded a larger allowance for non-member cocoa in the buffer stock than producers have wanted. Another problem area, delegates said, was the question of price differentials for different origins of cocoa bought into the buffer stock, by which the buffer stock manager could fairly compare relative prices of different cocoas offered to him. The compromise narrowed the range of differentials between the origins from what previous proposals had detailed -- a move some delegates described as "just fiddling." But the adjustments may prove significant enough to appease some countries that were not satisfied with the original proposed differentials assigned to them, delegates said. The compromise also stated buffer stock purchases on any day would be limited to 40 pct each in nearby, intermediate or forward positions, delegates said. If the compromise is accepted by the council, most consumers and producers want buffer stock rules to take effect next week, or as soon as practically possible. The full council is scheduled to meet around 1500 GMT to discuss the compromise, and could agree on it then if all parties are satisfied, they said. Consumers are due to meet before the council.