A press officer answering questions about a controversial tweet? No, not a White House press briefing but the Commission’s midday session with the media.
The Commission’s deputy spokesman Alexander Winterstein was asked by reporters about a message on Twitter by Věra Jourová, the European commissioner for justice, consumers and gender equality, saying she disagrees with the Commission’s move to open infringement proceedings against Hungary, Poland and her home country the Czech Republic for failing to join in with the EU’s refugee relocation scheme.
Winterstein, who said he did not attend the European commissioners’ meeting in Strasbourg at which the decision was taken, said the move was made by “consensus” and “unanimity.” The official minutes of the meeting aren’t yet available, but will be within the next two weeks.
Still on Eastern Europe, Winterstein said the “Commission continues to follow very closely” a Hungarian bill to crack down on NGOs that receive foreign funding and will assess if it respects EU law and the EU charter of fundamental rights.
Winterstein declined to speculate on whether a Brexit U-turn would be possible, after French President Emmanuel Macron and German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said the “door was open” for a return. Wintersteinsaid the Commission had been “preparing [itself] for a long time” for Brexit.
Antitrust cases
The Commission announced Wednesday it will launch formal investigations into brands such as Nike (which owns the rights for Barcelona football club’s merchandise), Sanrio (owner of Hello Kitty brand) and Universal Studios (which has the rights for the Minions and Despicable Me franchises) which it believes are illegally licensing products across borders and online within the EU’s single market.
Ricardo Cardoso, the Commission’s spokesman for competition, said he “suspected” some Commission staffers in the competition department might have “like everyone else, at some stage had to buy Hello Kitty pencil cases.”