02/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - ESF deal criticised at European Parliament - After more than twenty rounds of negotiations, the European Parliament and the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU reached agreement on 1 October on a compromise on the European Social Fund (ESF). The Parliament's employment and social affairs committee is unhappy with the outcome, however, and will be contacting the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, about the matter. The sticking point is the breakdown of the ESF's budget. The committee demands 25% of the budget be allocated to Cohesion Policy, but the agreement reached in the three-way talks is vague about this. (JK/transl.fl)