EC Briefing — Thursday, 4 June 2026

Key Points

• The June infringement package includes 34 letters of formal notice and 12 reasoned opinions.
• Italy received almost 13 billion euros as its 9th payment under the Next Generation EU.
• The Recovery and Resilience Facility supports long-term economic growth through targeted investments and structural reforms.
• Hungary intends to lift its veto on Ukraine's EU accession following a deal on minority rights.
• The EU is preparing a 50 million euro support package for Armenia amid Russian economic coercion.
• The financial assistance for Armenia will be direct budget support, flowing quickly to its institutions.

Full Transcript

Transcribed automatically from EbS (Europe by Satellite) · English audio track · AI-generated · May contain errors · Verify before quoting

Opening Statement

Good afternoon and welcome to the midday press briefing. Today is Thursday the 4th of June 2026. And there are several announcements we'd like to make before we move to your questions.

Let's start with the June infringement package which we have just published. The decisions taken within the context of this package include 34 letters of formal notice and 12 reasoned opinions. Furthermore, the Commission has decided to close 59 files in which Member States have ended an infringement and are in line with the respect of Union law. And more information can be found in the press material available on the press corner. I'd now like to invite Maciej to the stage for an announcement concerning Italy as we often do when there has been a large disbursement under the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Maciej.

Spokesperson: Good afternoon colleagues. I have some very good news for Italy today. Yesterday we paid almost 13 billion euros to Italy which is their 9th payment under the Next Generation EU. The Recovery and Resilience Facility being a central part of the Next Generation EU has been key for Europe's post-pandemic recovery. It stimulates economic growth through targeted investments in infrastructure, green technologies and digital innovation while also supporting job creation. The Facility's emphasis on structural reforms such as modernising tax systems, improving labour markets and combating corruption ensures that the funds are used not just for short-term recovery but also to address long-standing economic challenges. Italy's recovery plan worth more than 190 billion euros is one of the most comprehensive recovery plans under the RRF. The payment made yesterday supports critical reforms and investments in Italy across public administration, justice, education, employment, research, sustainable energy and agriculture just to name a few. With the Facility set to conclude at the end of 2026, Member States must finalise all remaining milestones and targets by August and submit their last payment request by September 2026. The Commission remains fully engaged in supporting Italy and all Member States in meeting these deadlines.

And the temporary protection for displaced persons coming from Ukraine. A press conference which Commissioner Brunner will take part in is scheduled for about 6pm this afternoon and as always we would ask you to keep any questions you have on Home Affairs for that dedicated press conference. To our press room and a very special guest, Nur Mohamed Sheikh, the spokesperson to the African Union Commission Chairperson. It's our honour to have you here in the press room with us, dear sir. Thank you very much. I understand the other visitors are members of Greek national media and students from the St Cyril and St Methodius University in Skopje. Hello, welcome to our press room. We hope you have a great time here with us and enjoy your time in the institutions and here in our beloved press room. Those were today's announcements and we can now move to taking your questions.

Ukraine EU accession progress

Q: Hello, Olof. Yesterday Hungary signalled its intention to leave the veto on Ukraine's EU accession after Hungarian Prime Minister Termager announced a deal with Ukraine on the issue of minority rights. What is your reaction to this breakthrough that you have been long awaited? And are you willing to endorse the deal that the two parts have reached and are you now confident that the veto is finally and definitely over? Thank you.

Spokesperson: Thank you very much for your question, Jorge. Hello to you too and I now pass the floor to Kjell. Good afternoon. The Commission welcomes the constructive negotiations between Hungary and Ukraine and the agreement to address the remaining issues concerning the rights of people belonging to national minorities in Ukraine. This is testament to efforts of Hungary and Ukraine to overcome issues pending for a long time, facilitated by the dynamics of EU accession process and associated reforms. So this is an important step that paves the way to the opening of fundamental clusters for Ukraine and Moldova. Many thanks, Guillaume. Follow up, Jorge.

Q: Yes, thank you. In his video on Facebook, Peter Magyar said that the guarantees or the deal that he had reached with Ukraine will be incorporated into the action plan that Ukraine has submitted to the European Commission as part of its membership application. Are you aware of the contents of this deal? Have you received it? And how is it going to be incorporated into the process? Thank you.

Spokesperson: Look, we were in close contact with both parties when they were discussing the different points. That is indeed correct. The action plan will need to be modified to take into account the agreement. But we are confident that we can do this very soon so we can open the first cluster. Thank you, Guillaume. Vitaly.

Q (Freedom): Vitaly Sisov, Freedom. Just follow up. So we are talking just about one cluster, not two, not three, in foreseeable future, several weeks. Thank you.

Spokesperson: So we always start with the first clusters on the fundamentals. We focus on this one now. But our position has been expressed many times when it comes to our assessment and we believe the Commission that Ukraine and Moldova have done all the technical work to open all the clusters. So now, as you know, it's for the Council to decide on the next steps and the decisions to open all the clusters. But our assessment is really clear. Thank you, Guillaume. Other questions for Guillaume? Please go ahead.

Support for Armenia against Russia

Q (Kyiv Independent): Chris Powers, Kyiv Independent. It's a question about Armenia. I hope it's for you, Guillaume, but maybe it's not. The President just announced 50 million euros of support for the country that's facing Russian attempts to swing the election now. I'm wondering if this money is entirely new money or if it's out of a specific fund that already exists?

Spokesperson: Thank you for your question. Before I hand the floor over to Guillaume, let me indeed confirm that President von der Leyen has had a phone call with Prime Minister Pashinyan. And in the readout we have just published, the President makes very clear that Russia's recent restrictions targeting Armenia are nothing short of economic coercion and they are unacceptable. By extending export restrictions on Armenian products, Moscow is weaponising economic relations for political pressure. We know this playbook all too well. This is why Europe stands firmly with Armenia. As you have correctly pointed out, Chris, we are preparing an EU support package. This includes immediate financial assistance worth over 50 million euros and more will come. With that, I hand over to Guillaume.

Spokesperson: Indeed, on the 50 million euros, this is direct budget support that will go directly to the Armenian institutions and this is in the framework of our Resilience and Growth Plan for Armenia. What's really important to mention is that this money will flow very quickly to Armenia so they can make use of it very soon. Thank you, Guillaume. Do we have other questions on this topic for Guillaume? Do we have questions for Guillaume on the other topics he covers? No? Thank you very much, Guillaume. Other questions for us today? Please go ahead, Valeria.

Entry rules for Russian tourists

Q (Public Broadcaster of Ukraine): Valeria Pashko, Public Broadcaster of Ukraine. The question is for Markus. So, Eleven, I know that there is Council ongoing, but this question is more for the Commission, from the Commission point of view. So, Eleven European countries want to strengthen entry rules for Russian tourists. They sent a letter to the Commission and my question is what the Commission responds to that? Is the Commission considering to issue some kind of proposal in this regard? And also, how many Russians received Schengen visas over the past years? How many Russians received Schengen visas over the past years? Could you please give me a breakdown by year for a few last year's things?

Spokesperson: Thank you for your questions, dear Valeria. As you correctly pointed out, on the day when a topic-related Council is taking place, we don't answer questions on that topic here at the midday. So, thank you for your patience. There will be an opportunity to hear answers at the dedicated press conference from the Home Affairs Council later today, as I mentioned, at the top of the midday. And we thank you for your patience in that respect. Other questions for us today? Go ahead.

European Peace Facility funding

Q (European Pravda Ukraine): Tatyana Vysotskaya, European Pravda Ukraine. My question is on the European Peace Facility. There was information, not official, that Hungary unblocked 6.6 billion euros in frames of the European Peace Facility. And also, there are some talks that Ukraine is asking European Commission to give this money to buy American missiles in frames of Pearl NATO program, or maybe in frames of other program, but to buy PEC-3 missiles for Patriot anti-ballistic systems. So, could you confirm that Hungary unblocked this money, and what is the process where this money will be used? Thank you so much.

Spokesperson: Thank you for your question, Tatyana. Anita will come to the stage imminently. Go ahead, Anita. Thank you, Tatyana. I cannot confirm this for the moment, because when it comes to the European Peace Facility, we have many discussions. These are currently ongoing, and the exact use of the blocked funds is still being discussed with the Member States. But in any case, what I want to underline is that despite the blockage as such, Member States have continued to deliver the military support to Ukraine, and the High Representative has been in regular touch with the Member States to encourage them to increase the ammunition and the support towards Ukraine. Thank you, Anita. Follow-up, Tatyana. So, do you mean that Hungary didn't lift the veto? It still blocked this money? What Hungary shall do to lift the veto? There will be like a vote on something in some committee. Just explain to me what shall happen to know exactly that veto is lifted. Thank you.

Spokesperson: As said before, discussions are ongoing, so this is diplomatic talk, no further comment on this stage. Thank you, Anita. Other questions on this topic for Anita? Other questions for Anita on the many topics and many regions of the world that she has responsibility for? No? Thank you very much, Anita. Other questions for us today? Chris. It might be for you, Olaf, this time, but I'm not sure, because it could be Agri, it could be, I don't know. It's about Hungary's ban on Ukrainian agricultural products. A couple of weeks ago, they announced this. At that point in time, I think it was too early for the Commission to say if they had a chance to talk to Hungary about this. I'm wondering if I can get an update. Did the President speak to Magyar about it when he was here? Has there been any kind of written communication? Is there any sign that this ban is now going to be reversed, given that it's completely illegal under European law? Thank you. Thank you very much for your question, Chris. Look, from our perspective, the position remains the same. We have called on the Member States in question to lift these restrictions, for the reason that we now have a new framework in place governing trade between the EU and Ukraine, and we are engaging with all the Member States in question, including Hungary, at all levels, with that objective in mind. That's all we can say for the moment. Other questions on this topic for Olaf? As we're taking questions for Olaf, other questions for Olaf on trade, customs or economic security? Camille. Hi, Olaf. Thanks so much for giving me the floor. Maros Savcovic met with USTR Jameson Greer yesterday in Paris, and I was wondering if you could give us an update on how the talks went, especially just after USTR proposed new tariffs on the EU over forced labour concerns. Thank you. Thank you very much for your question, Camille. So, there was indeed a short meeting between Commissioner Shevchevich and USTR Greer yesterday. However, I'm not going to pronounce myself on that now, because the same two political principals will participate in a press conference taking place at the OECD this afternoon in Paris. So, with your understanding, we will allow them to speak themselves on the topics they have been discussing. Other questions on trade? No. Other topics for us today. Go ahead.

Nuclear energy in EU policy

Q (Il Manifesto): Hello. Thank you for the floor. Andrea Valdamrini, Il Manifesto, Italian newspaper. It's a question for Balazs, probably, on the European semester. The flexibility on energy is for investment on renewable energies and green energies, but the nuclear energy can be considered one of them, because I know that in the recommendation of the European semester there is no mention of nuclear energy, but my question is if, in theory, so a priori, if nuclear energy can be eligible for being one of the funded energy by the close.

Spokesperson: Okay, look. So, what we said yesterday is that we are allowing for more flexibility, enabling the member states to spend more on measures which, generally speaking, help reduce member states' dependence on the import of fossil fuels or, in general, fossil fuels. Now, we gave a couple of definitions. We spoke about forward-looking investments, but we also said that the exact specific and precise parameters of these measures will have to be negotiated with the member states. They will be looked at in specific committees, and only after that will we have the final definitions. So, a little bit of patience on that front, please. Thank you very much, Balazs. Other questions for Balazs on the European semester package? No. Other questions for Balazs on the topics he covers? Go ahead.

AI Special Envoy position

Q (Euractiv): Thanks very much, Maximilian Henning, for Euractiv. This is on the AI or the position of the Special Envoy for Industrial AI that the Commission created yesterday. Two questions on that, maybe first. Why? The Commission already has a whole list of advisory bodies on AI, including a scientific panel, advisory forum, AI board, etc. Why do we need this special position? And second, on the candidate selected, I would just like to ask, how was he selected? And there have been some questions around conflicts of interest, seeing as he's also active in the board of a company that's been quite interested in European AI policy. And I just wanted to ask, do you share that concern? Thank you.

Spokesperson: Okay. On the first question, I will let Thomas jump in. He has the expertise on the substance, on the procedural front. So, we have roles dedicated to special advisors. Here, it is the respective members of the College, it is the responsibility of the respective members of the College to identify individuals which have the right expertise, and then they are appointed in line with the roles laid out in the dedicated roles to special advisors. And the final decision is, of course, with the College. Now, when we recruit, let's say, a special advisor, a special envoy, we have the responsibility to make sure or to check the potential existence of conflicts of interest, of course. And that's what we usually do, and that's what we did in such a case as well. So, in the case of Mr. Snub, for example, we looked at his background and his activities, and I can confirm that for the duration of his mandate, which will go until March 2027, he will suspend his membership in a range of boards. So, that will apply, for example, to the boards of C3AI, but it will also apply to the advisory board of Google Cloud and a range of other boards. We also put in place specific safeguards, which will ensure that all the potential conflicts of interest aspects are eliminated. Thank you, Balazs. Thank you, Balazs. So, folks, I propose we do it like this, that in relation to the new special envoy for AI, we'll take more questions for Balazs first, then Thomas will come up to answer the question about why this appointment is necessary. So, with that, first of all, you have a follow-up.

Q (Euractiv): Thanks very much. Just first follow-up, when you say it's the responsibility of the respective members of the College, do I understand then that EVP Wilkounen proposed this candidate in this case? Thank you.

Spokesperson: So, listen, the special envoy will report to essentially two members of the College. On the one hand, to the president and also to EVP, to the executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy. So, in that case, the special envoy will report to two members of the College. Thank you, Balazs. I have a number of questions on this topic and I'll come back to you because I just want to go online for a second, starting with Federica. Federica, is your question on this topic? It's on the European semester. Okay, I'll come back to you on that, Federica, because we'll deal with the AI envoy now and I'll give the floor to David. Thank you.

Q (Il Manifesto): David, can I get a reply? Balazs, you said that there is no more conflict of interest in this case, but you also said that the special envoy will suspend his participation in board, for example, C3EI, Google and so on. Suspension could mean that he could go back after the end of his mandate. Could you explain to me how there is no conflict of interest if a member of a board of an important AI company can go back there with quite a lot of information on what the Commission is doing and so on and then basically start again to lobby for his company, the Commission, or influence the Commission after what he did with those companies during the last few years? Thank you.

Spokesperson: Yes, that's exactly why we have put in place strong safeguards. So I'm not in a position, of course, to detail those for reasons of private data protection, but indeed this aspect was looked at as well, it was considered, and that is why the Commission decided to put in place robust and very strong safeguards. Thank you. Balazs, do we have other questions on this topic for Balazs? Okay, good. Then we will come back to, who had the question of the semester, remind me? Federica, are you still there?

Spending on energy subsidies

Q (L'Espresso): Yes, I'm still there. Go ahead. Thank you very much, Federica Bianchi, L'Espresso. It's just a quick question on how can we spend this 0.3%. I wanted to know if it's possible to spend it on subsidies for consumers, whether on subsidies for consumers of fossils or subsidies for consumers of non-fossil energy things like electric vehicles or solar panels or other such things. Thank you so much.

Spokesperson: Yes, so my answer is going to be pretty much the same t

Spokesperson: hat I gave five minutes ago. So there's a general objective here, which is to help member states reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. And any measure that is compatible with that should be supported under this extra flexibility. So I think what we made clear yesterday is that we are not looking to subsidize utility bills. That is something that we are not looking at in this context. We are looking at forward-looking measures, which achieve the objective that I've just laid out. And again, there will be some now exchanges between us and our member states. And the exact parameters, the specific, let's say, measures that could be looked at in that context will be fine-tuned in the coming weeks. Thank you very much, Balazs. I don't see other questions for you. Go in peace. So I'll ask Thomas to come up to answer the question received about why we have put in place this new position of AI Invoi. Before Thomas answers the question, I have to make a small clarification on what I said myself. The press conference taking place on the margins of the OECD this afternoon with Commissioner Sjefcovic is with Commissioner Sjefcovic only. Thank you. Thomas. Thanks, Olaf.

Q: Hi, Maximilian. Yes, indeed, to complement, I mean, we'll all agree in this room the role that AI will play in the future. And in this global race for AI, obviously, it's now high time to maximize the transformative potential of AI across the EU. Also, when it comes to industrial AI, this is where having someone from the industry that will provide recommendation and a report to both EVP and, of course, the President is an important step for the future of AI in Europe. Thank you very much, Thomas. Follow up on the original question. Go ahead. Yes, thank you. Maximilian Henning again. Does the appointment of this Invoi and of the specific individual to this new position mean that the Commission endorses Siemens positions on new AI rules? Thank you.

Spokesperson: It's not about a company and it has never been about a company. All of this is about Europe, about the role that our European industry can play globally and in Europe, about uptake of AI, about uptake of industrial AI. So, it has nothing to do about a company. It has to do with, of course, the long-standing experience a person, an important person from the industry can play for Europe as a whole. Thank you, Thomas. Thank you, Thomas. Do we have other questions for Thomas on this or other topics? David, your hand is raised again.

Q: Yes, thank you, Olof. And thank you also for this follow-up to Thomas. Thomas, does the Commission have the expertise necessary to manage the AI challenge or do you think that there was nobody inside this institution able to advise the President and the Vice President as Mr. Jim Ageban-Snabe? Thank you.

Spokesperson: Thank you, David. Before I hand the floor over to Thomas, I would simply say that the purpose of this Special Envoy, very simply put, is to maximise the transformative potential of AI across the EU. So, the Special Envoy is going to look at providing an evidence-based, forward-looking report on industrial AI with actionable recommendations aimed at strengthening Europe's digital sovereignty. The report will be published and, I repeat, this position is being put in place to maximise the work we're doing on AI, which Thomas very correctly pointed out, is essential for our present, for our future. Thomas?

Spokesperson: Yes, just to add that we have amazing experts when it comes to AI and cyber. I mean, let's just look at what we have achieved and what we're about to achieve. I mean, already with the AI factories, the upcoming AI Gigafactories, the good trust relationship we have with many companies. I mean, think of Antropic and the many discussions we had over the last weeks here, where we sent our best AI experts and cyber experts on the ground to have the outcome we will soon have. So, we have excellent colleagues working on this field. We have already tackled the regulatory approach. This will definitely stay with the AI office. Now, when it comes to AI innovation, we are on track with the upcoming AI Gigafactories. We're working on that and having someone, again, as I said, from the industry to help, as Olaf said, to maximize this potential is just an added value and it's fully complementary to the great work our colleagues are already doing. Thank you, Thomas. Other questions on this topic for Thomas? Other questions? Oh, heading on this? Go ahead.

Q: Yes, sorry. On being on track for the AI Gigafactories, if I saw correctly, the Commission yesterday also said that it was expecting to launch a call for AI Gigafactories in July. EVP Vukun had earlier said that would take place in spring, if I remember correctly. Is that still on track? Thank you.

Spokesperson: Yes, although we have the best experts, sometimes we're a little bit late. So, yes, spring, we will not meet it, obviously, but I can be quite confident when it comes to July, indeed, as mentioned by EVP Vukun. Thanks very much, Thomas. Other questions for Thomas on the many topics he covers? No, thank you, Thomas. Other questions for us today? Jorge?

Sanctions on Russian maritime services

Q: Yes, from one special envoy to another. My colleague Angela, also known as Angie, spoke with David O'Sullivan, the sanctions envoy, and they discussed the possible full ban on the maritime services for Russian tankers that you proposed in February. And he sounded very pessimistic about the possibilities of this ban. He said that there's no appetite to move forward with this in the context of energy disruption. So my question to you is, do you share this assessment from David O'Sullivan and have you reached the conclusion that this ban that the president herself proposed will not happen anytime soon? Thank you. Thanks, Jorge. I'll hand over to Siobhan for this one.

Spokesperson: Good afternoon, everyone. So, of course, yes, David did give our sanctions special envoy, was speaking about the context of discussions on the 21st sanctions package, which you know we generally do not comment about. But just to recall the maritime services ban. So in the 20th sanctions package, we did indeed include a legal basis to eventually activate a full maritime services ban. But we were clear that we would do this in consultation and in cooperation with our G7 partners. So for the time being, I cannot prejudge what might be in the 21st sanctions package. And of course, David was speaking in his capacity as the EU sanctions envoy. But we do remain committed to all of the measures that we've put in place, like the oil price cap and what we can do to minimize revenues that Russia might gain from the situation in Iran. And of course, we always seek to maximize the pressure that we put on Russia itself to try to bring them to the negotiating table. Many thanks for that very clear answer, Siobhan. Do you have a follow-up?

Review of price cap on energy

Q: Yes. Now on the price cap, since you mentioned it, Siobhan, we know that a review is coming up, I think in July, mid-July. And we also know that because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the prices have gone drastically up, and Russia is making more money now. So how is the Commission approaching this review, given that under the formula that you currently operate, the cap will be reviewed upwards rather than downwards? So there's a possibility that you will grant more economic relief to Russia. Thank you.

Spokesperson: Thanks, Jorge, for the follow-up. On the oil price cap. So let's just stick to how the mechanism works, first of all. So the mechanism indeed is calculated on the basis of a six-month period.

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