midday brief, in brief

Today at Commission: Migration and Monkeygate

It is ‘prudent and wise’ for the Commission to not talk about Brexit negotiations as they take place.

On the agenda: Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica will later Thursday attend the Global Partnership for Education conference in Dakar, Senegal. The EU announced an additional €100 million for the fund in December on top of the €375 million it has already pledged toward investment in global education.

Commission chief spokesperson Margaritis Schinas also announced that €471.5 million from the EU’s cohesion fund will go toward developing a high-speed railway line between Sofia and Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s largest cities. An additional €125.5 million will go toward modernizing a regional rail link in Budapest to reduce car congestion and upgrade signaling systems.

The Commission didn’t talk about: Brexit, despite multiple questions on freedom of movement and the leaked British impact assessments. Not commenting while the negotiations are taking place, Schinas said, was the “prudent and wise thing to do.”

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Migration: The European Border and Coast Guard Agency announced a new operation, called Themis, to replace Operation Triton in the EU’s bid to help Italy deal with migrants crossing the Mediterranean. Asked if the new operation will instruct rescue operations to send migrants to the nearest facility rather than the safest, Commission spokesperson Natasha Bertaud said “the best would be to address your question to the agency,” adding that the Commission is “fully confident” there will be proper coordination between EU countries.

Monkeygate: Schinas said the Commission was “shocked to find out about these practices” — of monkeys and humans being used in exhaust fumes tests — and called on “responsible national governments” to address these concerns.

Austrian family law: A new proposal intends to cut family benefits for workers whose children live abroad. Asked if the proposal runs against EU law, Schinas said: “We will examine this law with regard to their compatibility to EU law if and once adopted.”