February 21, 2020 / By mobanmarket
Margaritis Schinas, Chief Spokesperson of the EC during the midday press briefing | Lieven Creemer/EC — Audiovisual Service
midday brief, in brief Sun shines, Commission claims credit.Today at Commission: Juncker gets a present, crashes a dinner
“Let me first start with some breaking news, as we have developments as we speak,” European Commission chief spokesperson Margaritis Schinas said as he began Tuesday’s midday press briefing. “After weeks and weeks of clouds and rain, there is sun in Brussels,” adding “not only Europe is back, the sun is back as well.”
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On the agenda: Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will continue his preparations for an informal meeting of EU leaders on February 23. Juncker had a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron over the weekend and, according to Schinas, a “series of high-level meetings” are scheduled. Juncker also spoke with senior MEPs Guy Verhofstadt and Gianni Pittella on the phone.
Czech PM: Juncker had a “constructive meeting” with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš on Monday evening, during which the two discussed “the road to [an EU summit in] Sibiu, migration, the Western Balkans and external borders.” Babiš gave Juncker a present — a Babiš biography in English.
Tomorrow, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is expected in town and will meet Juncker. There will be a joint press statement at 2:30 p.m. local time. Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa will meet with Juncker tomorrow night for a working dinner. Also tomorrow is the weekly meeting of all commissioners, which will have a “very hefty agenda.” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini will update her colleagues on the situation in Iran, and they will also discuss trade talks and air quality.
On Mercosur: Juncker “crashed” a dinner Monday of ministers from the Mercosur bloc of South American countries, together with Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan. Both commissioners will also attend the latest round of trade negotiations between the two sides, which kicks off today. Juncker reportedly shared “his belief in the great importance of this agreement.”
VW emissions tests: The Commission was “shocked” that a think tank co-funded by VW allegedly carried out a test in 2014 on 10 caged monkeys, in an attempt to prove that a Volkswagen Beetle vehicle was safe. Later reports suggested that tests were also carried out on humans. Schinas called on German authorities to investigate.
EMA choice: “It was not a Council decision, it was a decision of 27 member states,” Schinas said of the choice of Amsterdam as the new home of the European Medicines Agency when it leaves London. He added that the Commission “did their job” by producing “a very forensic analysis” of the candidates. Amsterdam does not have a HQ ready for the EU agency, which has prompted complaints from Milan, the city that lost out. “I don’t think we are part of this — whatever it is — because I understand there is no formal move yet,” Schinas said.
Brexit: “I haven’t seen any of these studies,” Schinas said, referring to a leaked British government analysis that says the U.K. will be worse off after leaving the European Union in every likely scenario.
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