In 2002, six European states formally accepted asylum applications at their embassies (Austria, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. However, Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands abolished formal procedures in 2002 and 2003 due to the adoption of increasingly restrictionist political agendas.), and another six allowed access to their territory for protection-related reasons in exceptional cases. (Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg and Portugal.) These additional inroads into the asylum system have been sparsely used and domestic practices vary widely.