02/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - European Budget Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski declared to the Committee of the Regions on 29 October: “We have to work out how to align cohesion policy with the EUROPE 2020 strategy and how to make sure that the criteria do not become too restrictive and bureaucratic”. He also spoke about the development and investment partnership contracts proposed by the Commission: “We have to trust the wisdom of the regions and state objectives to be reached and test these contracts, even though it will be no easy task to sign individually with 270 EU regions”. He opposed any thought of renationalising the common agricultural policy and argued for the retention of direct payments to farmers. (L.C./transl.rt)