Brussels, 01/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - The agreement reached in Coreper on a compromise relating to cohesion policy has left the Socialists of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) with a bitter taste in their mouths. The Socialist and Democrat Party at the European Parliament has not yet commented on the agreement. At the CoR, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, the Socialist leader, considers that there has been too much emphasis in recent months placed on macro-economic conditionality. He says this is a measure that seems of an ideological nature. Thanks to the European Parliament, he said, a number of safeguards have been introduced so that macro-conditionality will never work in practice. His colleague, the rapporteur on the common strategic framework, Catiusca Marini (of Italy), also stresses that the deadlock in talks on this matter has created a “smoke screen” covering other measures that are just as dangerous, such as the performance reserve, and has pointlessly delayed preparations for 2014-2020 planning. (MD/transl.jl)