Don’t quote, don’t trust, verify here, spokesperson bios here, my comments in brackets. Decided towards the end to put reporters’ names in bold.
Berlaymont press room, Spokesperson Dana Spinant, Brussels, 12pm.
12:06pm.
Miriam, on trade interests: New trade enforcement rules in force. Upgrade trade agreement enforcement. EU can act in the WTO when a dispute is blocked. Second, expanding scope of regulation to services and IP rights. Info in our daily news.
Dana: College of Commissioners: exec VP and Gentiloni will represent Commission this afternoon at Eurogroup vid conference. Meeting with discuss winter 2021 economic forecast, int’l role of euro, corporate sector, draft budgetary plan of Lithuania this year. Reserve questions on economic measures for that press conference. Finally, before I give you the floor, a housekeeping point which affects you. Renewal of annual accreditations for Brussels-based journalist, deadline for applications is only 2 weeks away.
CATALAN ELECTION
Jose Luis: Catalan elections, independence got best results in years, EC concerned? Result could restart a political crisis in Spain.
Christian: EC never comments on regional elections.
Dana: more questions for Christian?
Odile: no.
Dana: only for Christian.
Lili: [silence]
Dana: select might source.
MEDIA
Lili: Club Radio in Hungary. EC sent letter on Friday. An response? Next steps?
Dana: Several aspects.
Christian: EC sent the letter on Friday expressing concerns re Club Radio. Ceased its activities on highly questionable legal grounds. Hungary should respect EU’s charter on fundamental rights, includ. freedom of expression, freedom to conduct business… requested Hungarian authorities respect and comply with EU law. No answer yet to Friday letter.
Dana: Other Club Radio or other media issues for Christian?
Jordi: Catalonia elections. More tensions between parties? Concerning that far right entered parliament for the first time?
Christian: no comment on regional elections. Not for us to express feelings. [raises Spock hand greeting]
BORDERS
David: Border control measures, decision taken by Germany, interior minister accusing you of impeding some measures. Commissioner Reynders quote worried about situation, will send letter to MS. Anything more to say?
Dana: a question for Christian.
Christian: MS agreed on common approach to restrictions on free movement. Adopted measures on free movement, recently updated b/c of new coronavirus. They are clear and should be everyone’s compass. Without coordinated approach, risk fragmentation and disruptions to free movement. Expect all MS to coordinate re colour code, restrict travel to/from dark red areas, blanket restrictions should be avoided. Portuguese presidency will put travel restrictions [on agenda] for next general affairs council. Re Commissioner Reynders, EC will send a letter to all MS that we expected them to follow guidelines we agreed together.
David: Problem that not all MS imposing restrictions in a non-coordinated way. Two MS, Belgium and Germany. French Europe minister says he’s not happy, will coordinate bilaterally with Germany, b/c Germany will impose controls between France and Germany. Why are you sending letters to all MS instead of getting on the phone and calling Berlin, or sending a letter to Berlin? You have all the legal means at your disposal.
Christian: a simplification to speak of just 2 MS. Belgium, we seek clarification. Of concern to us, principle of proportionality. Looking into measures introduced by a number of MS, not only Belgium. Germany measures, I’ve given a clear position. Remind that recommendation we’ve put together should be the compass.
Dana: Letter to MS mentioned, but not the only measure being taken, can’t do a running commentary on all measures being taken. Questions re borders?
Jack: communication feels quite urgent, could be more pressure or action on this. Why taking so long, and when will we know what the EC can do about it?
Christian: I refute this notion that it’s taking very long. Actions implemented very rapidly. Germany, Bavaria, movement almost within the hour on some issues. Closely following, monitoring these issues. Our compass should be the joined agreed recommendation, adopted in September, recently updated.
Dana: agreed plan is the recommendation.
Christian: A lot of contact ongoing.
Alain: You’ve been talking about proportionality, need to respect that principle. Question is, do these measures by Belgium and Germany, are they part of that idea, respecting proportionality? If you can’t answer now, when?
Christian: the question seems simple, but not that simple when it comes to legal matters. We are in contact with Belgium and we’ve been in contact through the PM cabinet and Commissioner Reynders, hope we’ll have more clarification on these matters, particularly re proportionality, we do have some concerns about measures in Belgium. We’ll take any measures necessary, as we always do. Germany. Situation a little different. Remains important.. I’m going to switch to English. [English] Jointly agree recommendation, I don’t want to translate but to quote recommendation: MS should seek to avoid disruptions to essential travel, disruption supply chains, persons travelling for professional or business reasons, [French] that’s the compassions we use to guide ourselves. [French speakers are often unhappy about this switching]
Alain: how will that contact lead to the EC taking a stance on this? Days pass and these measures are still in force, hampers free movement of EU citizens. Germany, people who may have legitimate reasons to cross the borders, they cannot do that. Pillar of EU rights. So when will you be able to answer this question?
Dana: Christian has said all he can on this today. Remain in contact with Germans, etc.
Isabelle: you said you’re being guided by the recommendations. What can you do, exactly? Just recommendations? Can EU MS close borders without penalty?
Christian: we’d need a technical briefing for these questions. I understand, can only remind you that we do of course have joint European rules on the freedom of movement. We have rules on the Schengen area, and so on. Not just recommendations. As pandemic has rapidly evolved, become necessary to put stronger recommendations on the table so we have a more practical system in place. So this doesn’t undermine undermine free movement in Europe.
Dana: will think about a technical briefing. We’ll get back to you on that.
Erisa: Can we say that MS don’t care about EC’s recommendations? EU powerless, MS don’t care, EC can’t make MS respect their engagement? [Erisa is ON]
Dana: EC doing its upmost in contacts with governments, legal analysis, to see if the national measures are in conformity with the recommendations. Beyond recommendations, we also have rules, EC watching how those rules being respected at borders. We are in a pandemic, new variants of Covid-19, but measures need to be proportionality and non-discriminatory.
Christian: I don’t agree that MS not following our recommendations. MS have agreed upon them. We remind MS of this common approach. Will also be discussed at next GA council.
David: Your tweet this morning, Prez said they discussed border controls with Covid team, anything about that? Do you accept what German Interior Ministry said, that EC obstructing Germany’s efforts to defend itself against virus?
Dana: Yes, a discussion this morning, via videoconference of college. Discussed so we might access current situation. At this stage, haven’t gone beyond that discussion.
Christian: we don’t comment on comments. Recommendation applies to all MS.
Dana: Time for a different subject. [laying down the law]
CLUB RADIO
Catherine: Club Radio. EC urging action to avoid irreparable damage to Club Radio. But it’s rights of use have already expired. Can you do something urgently? Injunction? Irreparable? Motivation to remove any independent media voice in Hungary. What can you do urgently?
Christian: We sent a letter to the Hungarian authorities on Friday [echoes of Hans Blix in Team America World Police here]. We’re taking into consideration media pluralism and the media services directive. We’re looking at various possibilities, that’s all I can say now.
UK DATA PROTECTION
Alexander: UK’s Data Protection, Financial Teams reported that EC could present a decision this week. Twice, ECJ has rules that US can’t grant adequacy, UK law enforcement. [confusing question, very technical, I think about the ECJ deciding if UK data protection is adequate re Europeans]
Christian: EC is working on its decision for the UK. UK-EU agreement provides a bridging solution. Adequacy talks with the UK well advanced, adoption process is foreseen to start soon. Need opinion from EU data protection board, and something else [didn’t catch]. We’ll inform about the steps in this process.
CATALONIA
12:48pm, Griselda: surprised and confused by your Catalonia response. Not asking your to congratulate the winners. Sometimes you say that this isn’t your competence, but it is. When there’s a political problem in the EU, politicians being jailed, decisions being made in EU courts on this topic, political leaders in prison, wouldn’t this be a good opportunity to start a conversation?
Dana: we will not go into discussion of this kind. We’ve heard the results. Your surprise surprises me [oooh!], we don’t comment on elections.
Christian: don’t comment on regional elections.
Dana: other questions, please. Christian has been up here too long.
Athanasiou: Now For Something Completely Different. Cyprus. Some inventors paid VAT of 5 per cent, and not 19 per cent, 5 per cent, only for investors already in Cyprus. Are you looking into ‘golden passports’, should government retrieve all the VAT not collected in this [investment project]?
Dana: still Christian. [Are you tired of this?]
Christian: Ongoing infringement procedure. Legal proceedings. 20 October, launched this infringement procedures. Received a reply from Cyprus. Not we are analysing it in view of next steps, won’t comment with further details.
Dana: Christian, you are free. [Fly, fly like the wind!]
Mathijs: meeting about state aid for airline KLM. Claim that EC [didn’t understand this].
Arianna: nothing I can aid besides that they will discuss issues in EC portfolio. EC in contact with Dutch authorities in this matter. In general, if a MS intends to grant more than 250 million euro in state aid in recapitalisation framework, they must propose measures to preserve competition.
EBOLA
Maas [name not quite right]: on ebola. Ebola gaining ground, could be spreading in neighbouring countries, the fear that the two viruses may be linked. Preventing action being taken? In Ghana. Humanitarian action?
Balazs: We’re away that new Ebola cases been detected [in area]. We’re in contact with these countries, WHO as well and humanitarian organisation. On a more general now, ebola not a new challenge. We’re helping in a variety of ways. EC made available 100 million euro for fighting-ebola projects, although 200 million euro devote to ebola vaccines.
12:59pm, Dana: Peter.
VACCINES
Peter: over weekend, [someone] announced faster procedures of vaccines. EMA is starting to reflect re guidelines for manufacturers. What changes did the Commissioner have in mind when she announced these changes over the weekend?
Vivian: We something we’re going to present this Wednesday will be looking at. No need to go back to square one. We can see what’s being done for the flu vaccines, the adaptions are faster and we will be building on them. Looking at existing vaccines so that they can work against mutations. Cannot go into much more detail on this before our Wednesday College discussion. But needs to be accelerated approval for Covid vaccines, will talk about this on Wednesday.
Dana: Peter’s hand still raised. Now not raised.
Angelo: you’re going to encourage producers to give info, adapt their products. Will you also invite them to consider ways to increase production through collaboration between different brands?
Dana: re manufacturing, doing our utmost with industry to ramp up production of existing vaccines. Secondly, turning attention to next state, the variants, which have been spreading, important that we have a triangle of science, industry and public authorities to detect variants and respond to the ASAP, including through adequate vaccines produced at scale and at speed.
Vivian: manufacturing of vaccines, although working with industry and MS looking at entire supply chain.
CAP
Michaela: question about CAP. Assessment of farm-to-fork strategy, small-scale, family plans. What price are they going to pay to be a part of the CAP? Can’t get an answer anywhere.
Dana: problem with Miriam’s microphone.
Miriam: more of a question for Vivian.
Vivian: where are we with farm-to-fork strategy? Discussions with parliament and Council. Also coming up with EC proposals, we’ll be able to carry out the assessment after the proposals are finalised.
BREXIT
Michaela: implementation of UK agreements and rights of citizens in the withdrawal agreements. Students starting to send in university applications to UK, I see more and more that since UK has quit the EU, can no longer accept applications for various courses. Some schools claiming that they can’t accept EU students because they need a visa. But shouldn’t be used to block applications. So what can we do to make them respect agreement?
Arianna: UK has decided to restrict the free movement of citizens from the EU to the UK. Because of this choice, travel to the UK was never going to be as easy as when the UK was part of the EU. EU and UK did conclude that visas not required for short term study visits. A number of mutual agreements in place. I’ll come back if I can find any specific clauses about students.
Michaela: I know all this. No need to go through the withdrawal agreements. Not up to the university to decide, students being told that their applications can’t be accepted. A violation of fundamental rights going on. They can’t even go through the process.
Arianna: I will check. Don’t have any specifics. I’ll come back to Michaela.
MYANMAR
13:14pm, Odile: tanks on streets in Myanmar, etc, dramatic repression, High Rep said we must work with our partners to take action quickly, mentioned sanctions, but not for FA Council. Probably not in favour of sanctions. Are we not in a weakened position here, US administration on the one hand, also having to deal with our partners in China, what can we do to try to support democracy in Myanmar?
Nabila: EU has been reacting, have done so from the first. High Rep in declaration said we want to have all options on the table. Shouldn’t speculate too much at this stage. FA Council on 22 February. Refer you to ambassadors’ statement yesterday [from many ambassadors]. Called on Myanmar authorities [to chill out and be cool]. [Normal stuff.] EU in contact with China as well, we’ve reiterated out concerns. Also in contact with ASEAN leaders.
BBC CHINA
Weihua: Called on China to revoke ban of BBC. But why not call on UK to revoke its ban on [Chinese media organisation] in UK? It’s all Mike Pompeo-style stuff.
Nabila: China banned BBC based on Zhenjiang reporting, coronvirus reporting, also [China’s treatment of] journalists. Issues very different in my opinion.
RUSSIA
Abdullah: statements made by Russian foreign minister, an hour ago. Said that EU relations bad for years, Russia planning on having separate relations with each EU country. Progress ahead is what Russia wants, but EU doesn’t want this. Comment?
Peter: High Rep delivered clear message in Russia. Got a reply to it already, we don’t need to comment on each of Lavrov’s remarks. What is important is the actions and statements of Russia, will discuss more on 22 February, how to develop EU-Russia relations further.
KOSOVO ELECTIONS
Erisa: reaction to elections in Kosovo. Free? Fair? Democratic? What does it mean, ‘with a view to continuing the dialogue with Serbia’?
Peter: We are still in the post-election process, we won’t comment further. We’ll continue to support Kosovo while communicating expectations re reform, won’t go beyond our previous statement.
OTHER QUESTIONS
David: President’s agenda for the weekend?
Dana: will preside over Council this Wednesday. At latest, will share with you tomorrow. No more questions, thank.