EC Midday briefing 24.03.2026

-

 


European Commission Midday Press Briefing 24.03.2026 | VOD & Daily News

 

Announcements

  • College meeting tomorrow. Commissioners will:
    • Adopt communication on integrated wildfire risk management. EVP Mînzatu and ECs Lahbib and Roswall will present it during the debriefing of the college meeting.
    • Discuss reprogramming of cohesion policy funds for its midterm review. Press conference w/ EVPs Mînzatu and Fitto after college meeting debriefing.
    • Adopt proposal for regulation establishing new financial instruments for EU defense industry. Presented by EVP Virkkunen & EC Kubilius in the press room.
  • Young European journalists visiting press room on an EP-organised training program.

 

Q&A

MEMBER STATES - Elections in Slovenia

 

SI PM sent a letter to VdL about foreign interference in SI elections. Has the EC responded?

  • EC doesn’t comment on election results. There is a national investigation ongoing in SI.
  • Can confirm receipt of letter from PM Golob. He will receive a reply in due course.

EUCO concluded EC should strengthen resilience against foreign interference in elections and undermining democracy by private actors. Does the EC intend to adopt additional measures to increase resilience against interference in MS elections? HU election in April.

  • EC has been strengthening democratic resilience.
  • Recently launched European Centre for Democratic Resilience: cooperation between MS, sharing info and best practices w; national authorities, civil society organizations, fact checkers, etc. to prepare for future elections.
  • Toolbox to support MS: EEAS rapid alert system. Rapid response system under DSA. In case of boosting online platforms, you can launch a DSA investigation.
  • Elections are a national competence. EC can assist but not interfere.

 

Were potential threats, interference and disinformation foreseen during the DSA round table talks in SI with civil society prior to the election?  

  • Platforms (TikTok, X, Meta) should not boost potential disinformation campaigns.
  • At this stage, no indication any platform has boosted that type of interference.

MEMBER STATES - Elections in Bulgaria

BG government to set up a pre-electoral misinformation coordination center. Did they ask EC for support? Can the EC still act in the 4 weeks before elections?

  • Alert system (DSA) has been activated. Will stay active until one week after elections.
  • EC were invited to take part in a round table organized by the authority in charge of the DSA in BG. Our toolbox can support any election in the EU and help citizens make informed and neutral decisions in advance of elections.

SAFE - Czech plan

Last week, CZ PM indicated that EC hasn't approved CZ plan for SAFE, because it is joint in a package with HU. Are the plans being approved as part of packages? Do the last 3 plans have to be approved together? Why is the CZ plan not being approved? Will this result in payment delays for CZ?

  • EC confirms that CZ plan hasn't been approved yet.  However, plans are not tied to each other and are assessed individually.
  • Once EC approves the CZ plan, it goes to the Council, and EC signs the loan agreement to make disbursement ASAP. 

FOREIGN AFFAIRS - Allegations of EUCO information leaks by HU FA Minister Szijjártó toRU

HU FA Minister admitted to speaking to counterparts in RU, US, TR, IS, RS etc. before and after EUCO meetings. Is this the clarification you sought? Next steps?

  • We expect the legal duty of sincere cooperation to be upheld. All MS must support the EU in achieving these goals. HR Kallas will be in touch with the HU minister.

 

FOREIGN AFFAIRS - Armenia

AM has applied for third round of EU Peace Facility funds. How much did they request? Last time, HU veto delayed funds. Could this happen again? When can EU approve the request?

  • No speculation on scenarios. We cooperate closely with AM.
  • European Peace Facility: first measure of €10mn in 2024. Second measure of €20mn in Jan 2026. Aim is to enhance AMs capacities for supporting civilians in crises and emergencies.
  • Exact payment and timeline to be confirmed.

 

MIGRATION - HU

PM Orbán sent a letter to VdL asking to allow MS to close external border asylum procedure and to suspend the fine on HU due to the Middle East crisis and the massive movement of people.

  • EC received the letter.
  • Last week’s EUCO conclusions: conflict has not caused immediate migratory flows, but we must be vigilant and prepared. EU ready to mobilize diplomatic, legal and financial tools to prevent uncontrolled migration. Security and control of EU’s external borders will continue to be strengthened, working with regional partners.
  • Won’t be a repeat of 2015. We are better equipped, have stronger external borders, stronger agencies, and a solid legal framework, incl. Migration and Asylum Pact.

 

Orbán said the Pact on Migration and Asylum is incapable of addressing emergencies. Do you share this view?

  • We have a comprehensive approach to migration management. The approach shows clear results. Illegal arrivals have dropped 50% in the past 2 years.
  • Pact on Asylum and Migration will apply fully in summer. Strengthened with the safe country of origin and safe third country concepts, along with the returns regulation.
  • Migration strategy (presented in Jan) develops and strengthens the approach.

 

ENERGY - RePowerEU Oil proposal

RePowerEU Oil proposal was removed from the liste des points prévus (LPP). Previously set for 15-April. Was it delayed? Why? When will it be published?

  • Our planning is indicative/tentative. No college meeting on 15-APR. 
  • No new date available. We remain committed to making this proposal. 
  • Going back to importing RU energy would be a strategic blunder.
  • RePowerEU gas regulation banned new gas contracts, since last Wednesday.
  • Determined to continue with other energy forms. 

 

ENERGY - Power cuts in Moldova

RU disrupted EU-MD energy links. Severity? Repair time?

  • Confirm damage. No power cuts in MD. Electricity systems remain operational. 
  • MD is synchronised with the European power grid. Supply to MD ensured via rerouted imports, renewables and local generation.
  • MD Parliament met today. National authorities must assess. We follow closely.

 

INTERNAL MARKET - Fuel prices in Slovakia

Since Monday, SK fuel stations charge foreign plates more for fuel. Does this violate EU market rules?

  • 30-day restriction on diesel refueling in SK. Differentiated pricing between domestic and foreign vehicles. Higher prices for vehicles with foreign license registration plates. This measure is highly discriminatory against EU law.
  • While citizens should be supported, measures should not discriminate between nationality nor undermine the single market.
  • We will take legal action to ensure compliance. MS should not act unilaterally on such matters.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS - Gaza

How can the EU ease movement across the Rafah border? Traffic is limited.

  • Rafah crossing point remains open. EUBAM Rafah continues deployment.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jack B. Yeats: Painting & Memory

-
Image
Published in Cassandra Voices on 9 October 2021. Often overshadowed by his elder, Nobel laureate, brother W.B., Jack Butler Yeats occupies an exalted position among Irish painters. ‘Jack B. Yeats: Painting & Memory’ is a new exhibition in the National Gallery commemorating the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the painter’s birth, and exploring a stylistic evolution that draws on both Irish and British scenes. Jack was born on August 29th, 1871 into a marriage of two Irish Protestant families, the Yeatses and the Pollexfens . Whereas the Dublin Yeatses embodied a faded aristocracy, priding themselves on genealogically questionable claims of descent from the Dukes of Ormonde, the Pollexfens were of a more recent vintage, having come to Ireland in the eighteenth century, finding prosperity through their shipping interests. Each of the surviving children of moderately successful portrait painter John Butler Yeats and Susan Pollexfen made significant marks in their respective ...
Read more

A Beginner’s Guide to Electronic Music Production with Arvo Party

-
Image
Published in print by TN2 September 2020. Published online 26 October 2020. Over the Summer, I got around to doing something I’ve been putting off for years – producing electronic music. From the outside, this hobby can appear intimidatingly difficult, with its own jargon, software and online subcultures. Once I started digging into it, however, I was surprised to find there are a plethora of free, beginner-friendly resources available. The most difficult part was learning where to start. For help, I reached out to Irish electronic musician Herb Magee (AKA Arvo Party), for advice on getting into electronic music as a beginner. To produce electronic music, you need a Digital Audio Workstation (commonly referred to as a DAW). This software allows you to create, record and manipulate audio. There are many reputable free options, such as Garageband (which comes pre-installed on Macs), Reaper (recommended in a Q&A with Autechre) and Cakewalk. Arvo Party “started out with Logic and stil...
Read more

Sally Rooney - Beautiful World, Where Are You // Book Review

-
Image
Published online by Cassandra Voices, 24 September 2021. For Christmas two years ago, my mother bought me a copy of Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People(2018). I tried to read it, I really did, but gave up after twenty pages. Looking back now, I can’t remember exactly what it was that turned me off it. I recall saying something along the lines of not liking the dialogue and the way the characters were realised. Looking back, I think I disliked the social pressure exerted on me to read and admire Sally Rooney. You see, as a student in Trinity College Dublin, the figure of Sally Rooney loomed large.  Access to campus was restricted while a TV adaptation of her book was filmed. Her novels lined the windows of nearby book shops. Rave reviews appeared everywhere you looked online. She was the voice of the Irish millennial. All of this, rather than encouraging me to embrace her work, raised my hackles and ensured that I would find fault in anything I read by her. After laying Normal Peopl...
Read more