MIDDAY BRIEF, IN BRIEF

Today at Commission, ‘broken record’ on Catalonia and moving EU agencies

Spokesman declined to comment on whether Commission could be mediator between Madrid and Catalonia.

On the agenda: Tallinn, Catalonia, relocation of EU agencies, competition, VAT.

On the podium: Commission deputy spokesman Alexander Winterstein.

See you in Tallinn: Winterstein signaled that Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is already in Tallinn for an informal dinner of EU leaders — minus the U.K. — this evening in the Estonian capital.

Catalonia: Winterstein said he did not want to sound like a “broken record” on Catalonia as he declined to comment on whether the European Commission could be a mediator in the spat between Madrid and Catalonia over the region’s independence. The Catalan government plans to hold an independence referendum this Sunday, but Winterstein would not confirm whether the Commission will issue a statement on the outcome of the controversial vote, which Madrid has vowed to block. The spokesman declined to “speculate” on what the Commission’s reaction would be if the Yes vote were to win.

Relocating EU agencies: Winterstein said the Commission will publish its long-awaited assessments for the relocation of the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority — which will both leave London because of Brexit — on Saturday, “probably in the morning.” The Commission, however, declined to comment on whether rules pertaining to EU salaries could be harmful to Eastern European countries bidding to host the agencies. Under EU rules, there is a “correction” for staffers’ wages based on the country in which they work, and this would have an impact on how much workers would potentially earn in Eastern European countries where wages tend to be much lower than in London or other Western European cities.

No comment on STX France: The spokesman said the Commission had seen press reports that the Italian and French governments agreed on a deal for shared ownership of the STX France shipyards. Winterstein said the Commission could not comment on the deal as it was not officially notified of the agreement.

VAT losses: Winterstein also highlighted the Commission’s latest report that EU countries lost around €152 billion in value-added tax revenues in 2015, calling for “serious reform” to shore up the so-called “VAT gap.” The Commission will propose measures in October to close that gap.

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