MIDDAY BRIEF, IN BRIEF

Today at Commission, Brexit and backing Tusk in Polish probe

Juncker believes Donald Tusk should be treated ‘with dignity’ by Polish prosecutor.

While Jean-Claude Juncker heads to Washington D.C. to meet World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and U.N. officials, the Commission’s daily press conference stayed firmly on the Continent.

Mina Andreeva, the Commission’s deputy spokeswoman, confirmed POLITICO’s scoop that Juncker will travel to London next Wednesday at the invitation of Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss Brexit negotiations. The Commission’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, Juncker’s powerful chief of staff Martin Selmayr and Juncker’s diplomatic adviser Richard Szostak are also heading to London. Juncker will not meet any other political leaders during his visit.

Andreeva could not confirm who would attend the meeting on the U.K. side apart from May, or the main focus of the discussions. Asked about citizens’ rights, she stuck to previous Commission statements that they “should not be used as bargaining chips in the negotiations” and that there should be no discrimination against EU citizens in the U.K., or British citizens in other EU countries, before Brexit takes place.

The Commission also confirmed Barnier would attend the first meeting of EU affairs ministers from the EU27 (EU members minus Britain) on April 27 to polish the Brexit negotiating guidelines, which are due to be adopted by the European Council on April 29.

Andreeva could not confirm whether the European Commission has sent a memo, as reported by the Financial Times, telling its staff to shut out British groups from big contracts and urging companies to move to one of the 27 remaining EU members. “That sounds very dramatic,” Andreeva said, adding “the Commission will continue to deal with the U.K. in a manner that fully respects the principle of sincere cooperation.” She concluded: “Everything that is after, we will see after.”

Backing Tusk

Andreeva said Juncker fully supported European Council President Donald Tusk, who has said he is facing in a “smear campaign” after being called to testify as a witness in an investigation in his native Poland into an ex-military official suspected of having cooperated with foreign intelligence services.

“President Juncker has full confidence in President Tusk, with whom he has been working for many years when they were both prime ministers,” Andreeva said. While declining to comment directly on the case, Andreeva said Tusk was cooperating fully with the investigation. “President Juncker wishes that President Tusk is treated with dignity,” she said.

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