EC Briefing — Tuesday, 9 June 2026

Key Points

• President von der Leyen to announce the 21st sanctions package against Russia at 1 PM today.
• Commissioners to adopt a package on islands and coastal communities in tomorrow's meeting.
• Draft annual budget for the European Union for 2027 to be adopted in upcoming college meeting.
• EU air safety list updated; Air Express Algeria banned, Kyrgyzstan carriers removed.
• EU prioritizes ramping up investments in defense industry by 2030, despite national project challenges.
• Apple's decision to withhold Siri AI from EU users is independent of DMA regulations.

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 our midday briefing. We've got a number of different announcements to make to you before we take your questions. So I'd like to start by reminding you that President von der Leyen is going to be making a press statement at one o'clock so in less than an hour and that'll be in the VIP corner and she's going to be discussing the 21st sanctions package against Russia. That's expected to be adopted very soon and then President von der Leyen will be presenting that in the VIP corner. All this means we're going to be finishing our meeting at about a quarter to one 12 45 to give you an opportunity to follow that press statement. With that we can have a look at the college's agenda which is going to be held tomorrow and the press events we're organizing in conjunction with that. The commissioners aim to adopt a package on islands and coastal communities and this is going to be part of the college readout as well as a press conference chaired by the Executive Vice President Víteo and Commissioner Caddes. This will be held in the press room after the meeting. There's also going to be an orientation debate on the revision of the European Union's emissions trading scheme and they are going to be adopting the draft annual budget for the European Union for 2027 as well. You will as usual be receiving all the information on this press conference and its timing via the usual channels. Now I'd like to invite Anna Kaiser to join me up here and she has a few words to say about aviation security. Thank you.

Costas Kadis: Good afternoon. The commission has yesterday published its 48th update of the EU air safety list which by the way this year is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The EU air safety list informs passengers about airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union because they do not meet international safety standards. Following this update all air carriers certified in Kyrgyzstan have now been removed from the list. At the same time Air Express Algeria has been included in the EU air safety list and can no longer operate in the European Union. This decision is based on serious safety concerns identified by EU aviation safety experts and today to coincide with the update of the air safety list we are also publishing Eurobarometer survey which shows a strong passenger trust in the EU air safety list which as I said is celebrating the 20th anniversary this year. We have published a daily news about this and there's more information available on the website as well.

Spokesperson: Thank you very much Anna Kaiser. And now the telecoms council which is being held in Luxembourg now and I'd like to refer to that. Vice president executive vice president Verkonen is representing the commission and the number of parties we touched upon by the ministers, digital sovereignty, cyber security, the digital wallet or European digital wallet and digital networks act. EVP Verkonen will be also at the press conference and that will be held after the meeting around about 5 p.m. so as usual if you have any specific questions on this area then you should focus on that particular press conference. Very warmly to groups of visitors coming from two opposite sides of our planet. I understand you are central Asian and Latin American journalists on a visit to the EU institutions. It's a pleasure to host you in our press room and to share with you a bit of our daily work. I hope you enjoy the time with us and the time in beautiful Brussels. This is it for our announcements. Let's move to your questions now.

Cyprus aircraft interference incident

Q: Hi Paola. Let me rerun yesterday's question as I did not get an answer neither at midday nor later. The Republic of Cyprus has confirmed an incident involving interference with aircraft carrying Greek, Dutch and French defence ministers while en route to Cyprus on Sunday evening to attend the informal FAC defence configuration meeting. Cyprus had been informed by the ministers involved that their aircraft were subjected to interference originating from the illegal Tymbou airport and in the case of Greek defence minister Turkish fatigues were also observed operating in the area. From each side Cyprus said that they would raise the matter through the appropriate international channels. Do you have anything for us?

Spokesperson: Indeed. Thank you so much for the question. We have seen the reports and we are of course aware of this. What we do on our side, we will look into exactly what has happened and will be in touch with our counterparts in Cyprus. Thank you Anita. We have now Anita with us. Any questions to Anita on external affairs? No questions on external affairs. Okay, then we can change topic. Yes, Angela.

EU defence projects development

Q (Euronews): Angela Skujins from Euronews. Sorry, I just lost my question. Amazing. I believe this is something for Toma. The European Commissioner for Defence, Andres Kobilias, has repeatedly said that the EU needs to step up when it comes to developing pan-European defence projects, particularly as the US signals a retreat. How is this going to occur, particularly when we hear the news of the disillusion of the French-German fighter jet program yesterday? Is this failure emblematic of future intra-European coordination efforts in defence? Thanks.

Spokesperson: Thank you for Toma. Hello Angie. So first, on your first point, so we do not comment on national defence projects. First, to start with the very specific element you were referring to. Now, let me be very clear on the fact that although we do not comment on these national defence projects, we definitely continue our work also under SAFE, because we need to definitely ramp up our investments for our defence companies, for our defence industry, precisely to get ready. We have a very clear objective by 2030. So we will continue to do this under SAFE and other instruments that we have. This is a top priority, as indeed highlighted by Commissioner Kubilius, but also by the President herself. And when it comes to very innovative solutions, there again, we will continue our work with our funding programs, be it EDF or also, for example, the Industrial Transformation Roadmap. So no comment on the individual case that you're referring to in the individual project, but definitely we keep working very intensively to ramp up our investments for our defence companies. Thank you, Tomas.

Q (Euronews): Yes, Angela, you have a follow-up on this? Yes, Tomas. Sorry, one more, one follow-up. You talk about money here, but is there any other efforts that the Commission will be undertaking to defuse any tensions that arise between, I don't know, how these companies across the EU work together and aim to get these projects up and running? Thanks.

Spokesperson: I think the SAFE success speaks for itself. I mean, here we have 150 billion that were immediately taken. We have strong plans that have been submitted to the European Commission, 18 of them approved in record time, five loan agreements already signed, more than 6 billion already disbursed to one First Member State, Poland, and all of this indeed is about joint procurement. So I think that here the common objective to work together and to do joint procurement is pretty much alive, and again, the success of SAFE speaks for itself. Thank you, Tomas. Other questions to Tomas on any of his portfolios? Yes, go ahead.

Siri AI service and DMA

Q (France Presse): Oui, Frédéric Simon from Euractiv. The keynote yesterday, it was announced that the new Siri AI service assistant will not be available to EU users on iPhones and iPads due to disagreement with the Commission on the implementation of the DMA. Does the Commission have comments on it?

Spokesperson: Thanks, Frédéric. We have indeed seen Apple's statement, and I think we indeed need to set the record straight. So first, the decision not to roll out Siri AI in the EU is Apple's and Apple's only, because absolutely nothing in the DMA prohibits Apple from introducing new products in the EU. What Apple is, however, not allowed to do, just like any other gatekeeper, is to close the market. It is not for them to decide who gets to innovate in Europe, and it's not for them to choose which AI tools our EU citizens get to use or not. And that's precisely where the DMA and its interoperability obligation comes in, because if we want to innovate and to have innovative solutions and more choices for our users, we need fair and open competition among developers. Now, you're referring to Siri AI. What is the true story behind that? We had a few contacts with Apple on this matter, this I can confirm, but Apple was simply unable to develop interoperability solutions that meet essential EU privacy and security standards. Instead of trying to find a suitable compliance solution, Apple simply made a request to the European Commission to be exempted from their interoperability obligations under the DMA, and this for at least 18 months on top of it. Guess what? That's not an option, because it would mean that no AI agent other than Siri AI, by the way powered by Google, would have an equal chance to be chosen by iPhone users. And more importantly, and I will finish with this, EU law is non-negotiable. The Commission won't give any exemptions, just like a police officer would not exempt a driver from respecting speed limit. There you go. You have the full picture now. Other questions to Tomas? I have online. Caterina Mazzantini, is it for Tomas? Caterina? Can you hear me? Yes, we can.

Benghazi arrests and EU contact

Q (EU News): Good morning, Caterina Mazzantini from EU News. Actually, I raised my hand when Anita was on stage. Is it possible to return back to Foreign Affairs? We see no further questions to Tomas. No. So we can ask Anita to come back. Caterina, go ahead. Okay, thank you. I would like a comment from the Commission about the people from Filtia who are arrested from the 24th of May in Benghazi. I would like to know if you are in contact with Benghazi government or at least with the Tripoli government. What are the news? What action are you planning to do to save their lives? Also, because they are on a hunger strike from the beginning of June. So I would like to know any comment about it.

Spokesperson: Thank you, Caterina. I'm looking at Anwar to see if he has any further information and reaction on the question that you raised. Hey, good afternoon. I'm not sure I fully grasped the full scope of your question, but when it comes to the treatment of the activists in the latest flotilla that we have seen, I think that our comments have been very clear and outlined from the start, and I will not from here reiterate that. But from the consular protection perspective, let me recall that this is part of the Member States prerogative, and it is part of their duty to assist in any way possible. But if you have any further question on any particular case, please feel free to reach out and we will shed light on any question that you might have. Thank you. Thank you, Anwar. I have another question for you, Anwar, from Nureddin.

Houthi militia threats in Red Sea

Q: I would like to ask a question about the situation in the Red Sea. The Houthi militia threatened again and again to target the commercial vessels. We know the position, there is a dismissal, etc., etc. Is there any reaction from your side, Anwar, on this? And second, very often we heard about that the European Union is looking to reinforce or strengthen the Houthi assets. Is that already done? And if you don't mind, can you tell us your comment about what's going on in Lebanon, please? Thank you.

Spokesperson: Thank you. Thank you, Nureddin. In terms of the latest Houthi declaration, we obviously we have seen it, and we can only reiterate our call to avoid any action that will further jeopardize the chances to re-establish regional peace. In terms of our mission, we as EU, we have been making a crucial, crucial contribution through our operation ASPEDES, protecting shipping in the Red Sea, and it actually works. ASPEDES protected over 600 vessels and helped 1,700 ships to pass through the area. And the latest threat by the Houthi to target ships in the Red Sea shows how important our mission is. The High Representative also proposed, once the conditions permit, that ASPEDES could contribute also to the Franco-British coalition in the Strait. And based on the discussions that took place in the latest format of the FAC defence, we will continue to work in this direction on this proposal. Now, I think that you also had a question on the situation in Lebanon, if I'm not mistaken. We have our position that is very clear, positioned by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union, which means 27 member states that have also agreed to it. The ceasefire agreement that we have seen and that has been brokered by the United States between Lebanon and Israel is a renewed opportunity to end the conflict, and we trust that Israel and Lebanon will continue direct negotiations in a constructive spirit. That being said, looking at the situation that we have at hand, we urge all actors to fully abide by the terms of the agreement, and all military action should cease immediately. We call on Hezbollah to withdraw from the South Litany sector and Israel to withdraw from the Lebanese territory. As to our action as EU and support to Lebanon, let me recall here that the newly European Peace Facility Assistance Measure of 100 million euros is a testament to our commitment to strengthen and support the Lebanese Armed Forces for the security and stability of Lebanon. And we also demand the full implementation of the UN Secretary-General's Resolution 1701, calling for the respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon. Thank you, Anouar.

Q: Alexandra Voudouri, Online. Is it for Anouar? Yes, Paola. Do you hear me well? Yes. A follow-up regarding the Aspides operation. Anouar, you've mentioned what the HRBP said yesterday, that the Aspides operation could contribute to the French-UK coalition. A clarification. In that case, should the mandate of the Aspides operation change? And if yes, do we have any concrete interest on behalf of other member states? Because, correct me if I'm wrong, only two member states, Italy and Greece, are currently participating in the Aspides operation. Thank you so much.

Spokesperson: Thank you. Thank you for your interest and proactivity. I will, however, not enter into any speculation at this stage, and I hope you will understand. Thank you. Okay. Other questions to Anouar? No. Other topics that you'd like to raise today? Please, go ahead.

Albania real estate project concerns

Q (Euronews): Thanks, Paola. Marad Gwyn for Euronews. I think it's for Guillaume. Protests in Albania over a luxury real estate project linked to President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, now in their second week. I'd like to know if the Commission is actively assessing this project's compatibility with EU environmental laws, and therefore, the impact on Albania's accession bid. And also, have there been any contacts between Commission officials and Albanian officials on this? For example, has the Prime Minister, Edi Rama, been contacted on this directly? Thank you. Good. Guillaume.

Spokesperson: Hi. Good afternoon. On the matter. So, what I can say is the Commission is following closely the developments in the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape. We have already expressed concerns with the Minister of the Environment about the potential shortcomings of this project. So, the Minister committed that the construction's work have been suspended, and that a comprehensive environmental impact assessment will be carried out for the project in consultation with civil society. So, we know that the project is also subject to an ongoing SPAK investigations that extend beyond, actually, the environmental concerns. So, you were asking about whether we have already expressed our concerns. As I said, we have already spoken to the Minister, but let me stress that, actually, the concerns are not new. It was already mentioned in our enlargement report that the repeated extension of the law on strategic investment continue to raise concerns about the possible environmental impacts, and actually, specifically, in the protected areas. So, when it comes to the accession process, let me also recall that, as part of the closing benchmark for the Chapter 27 on environment and climate change, Albania is expected to align fully with EU legislation in this area, including the Birds and Habitat Directive, and also it needs to terminate the 2015 legislation on strategic investment. In addition, to close also the Chapter 27 on environment, as I just mentioned, Albania must demonstrate its capacity to manage future Natura 2000 sites, including the conservation measures, and to protect habitats and species. Finally, let me stress that Albania should refrain from action that could undermine the fulfilment of the closing benchmark, and we expect the Albanian authorities to act without delay. So, it is in our radar, and we are in contact with the Albanian authorities on this issue. You have a follow-up?

Q: Yes, just a quick follow-up, just to clarify, because you mentioned the comments of the Environment Minister that this work is suspended. However, the Prime Minister, Edi Rama, has defended the project and says that it will go ahead. So, given that, do you think that the talks need to be, you know, on a higher level, for example? Will Commissioner Kos consider reaching out to the Prime Minister directly? And just finally, just to clarify, are you then saying that what you know about this project so far seems to be in breach of Chapter 27? Is that an assessment you've made, or you just haven't reached there at this point? Thanks.

Spokesperson: Well, let me recall that in the context of the Chapter 27 on environment, there are measures that need to be taken to protect the environment, and it is in this context that we have expressed our concerns in light of the legislation that I just mentioned. When it comes to further discussions, engagement, and higher level, obviously I cannot speculate at this stage, but we have been in touch, as I said earlier, with our counterparts, and we will continue to do so. Good, thank you. Guillaume, other questions to Guillaume? Jorge?

Q: Yes, just following up on my colleague's, the topic that she brought up, so just to summarize, Guillaume, to be very specific and straightforward, can Albania close Chapter 27 if it goes ahead with this real estate project? Yes or no? Thank you.

Spokesperson: I will only recall what I just, with the comment that I used to close the longer position on the matter, is that Albania should refrain from actions that could undermine the fulfillment of the closing benchmark, in this case Chapter 27, and so we expect the Albanian authorities to act without any delay. So I think it captures our position. It is clear, I believe. We have still a follow-up from Julian Casapi. Online.

EU safeguards for investments in Albania

Q: Hello, do you hear me? Yes, Julian. Yeah, thank you. So I'm an Albanian, but a journalist here in Brussels, so the protesters have accused the government for insufficient transparency and consultation. What concrete safeguards does the Commission expect candidate countries to apply before approving such large strategic investments projects? Thank you.

Spokesperson: So as I said, we have expressed our concerns to the Environment Minister, who committed that the construction works have been suspended and that actually an impact assessment will be carried in this project. So our expectations here is for this assessment to be made in a transparent way. Yeah, so discussion is ongoing. Good. Other questions to Guillaume? No. Other topics today? Antoine.

EU response to US blacklist of Chinese companies

Q (Japanese Public): Thank you, Paola. Antoine Muto for Japanese Public. I'm not sure whether this is for Olaf, but I think so. The US administration added yesterday some big Chinese companies as Alibaba and BYD to a kind of blacklist of companies said to be helping the Chinese military. I was wondering whether the EU is going to do anything considering these steps made by the US administration. Thank you.

Spokesperson: So looking at the team and see who feels concerned. And we have several candidates. Thomas, go ahead. Yes, I'm concerned.

Q (Japanese Public): Hi, Antoine. So first to start with, we have indeed put strong safeguards in place in a similar area. Speak of cybersecurity, you remember the Cybersecurity Act proposal that we have put on the table. What is this Cybersecurity Act proposal going to do once it's being adopted by the co-legislatures? Identifying key strategic areas where we may have vulnerabilities. And then once we have an agreed proposal and an adoption by the co-legislatures, we would be able to list so-called high-risk third countries, not naming anyone here specifically, just explaining the procedure, and subsequent high-risk companies coming from these identified countries. When it comes to the car industry and connected cars more specifically, we have already done risk assessments precisely in preparation of the Cybersecurity Act, and we have indeed identified that this could be one of the strategic sectors that would have to be tackled under the new proposed CSA. But again, we have also EVP Virkunen who is today in the press room in Luxembourg and who will be able to address these questions too in case of need. So, Antoine, we're not commenting on what is happening on the other side of the Atlantic, but we are sharing with you how we are approaching it, indeed, as set out by Thomas. Antoine, you still have a follow-up on this?

Q (Japanese Public): Thank you, Thomas. Could you maybe provide us with any potential date or deadline or any point, like, kind of time indication for the future? Thank you.

Spokesperson: I would invite you to go to the other side of the street. Indeed, now it's fully with our co-legislators. We definitely see a need for this strong proposal to be adopted quickly, but this is now fully in the hands of our co-legislators. Good. Are there questions today for Thomas? No. Other topics? Yes, please.

EU migration pact implementation

Q (RND): Hi, Sven Christensen-Schultz with German news cover network RND. My question is on migration. So, it's for Markus. I would like to ask EU member states must apply the asylum and migration pact by Friday. Will there be any consequences if a member state has not fully implemented the pact by then? And secondly, when do you plan to carry out a review to check whether the pact has been fully implemented by each member state?

Spokesperson: Sven Christensen, thank you for the question. It gives me the chance to give you a bit more context on what's happening this week. As a matter of fact, it's an important week for migration. The pact on migration and asylum is a major achievement and a key component of our new comprehensive approach on migration. That's something Commissioner Brunner has also underlined last week at the Justice and Home Affairs Council. The pact is not a stand-alone legislation. It comes together with other important initiatives that we have brought forward in the past year. For example, the new legislation on returns, where there was a trilogue agreement also last week, and migration diplomacy. This is something very important as well. Our work with partner countries on migration now. With the pact, for the first time, the EU has a common framework with strong external border protection, fair and firm asylum rules, and a balance between solidarity and responsibility. What happens now, this week, is that two years after the adoption of the new rules, they will be fully applicable. This is from the 12th of June. This is very good news. We are getting started. Member states are now able to apply the new rules in practice. And what I can say from now is, or today is, in view of Friday, is that all the core pillars of the pact are in place. But of course, as for all the big reforms, more work and continuous efforts are needed and will also be needed after the entry into application, so also after Friday. Member states will continue to adapt and fine-tune the new procedures, and the Commission and the EU agencies will continue to support them. So, in short, we have come a long way. The pact will start to be applied on Friday. This is going to work. Of course, not everything can be perfect when you have such a major reform. We have 10 interlinked legislations, but work will have to continue. We are looking at this. We're working with member states. We have teams in charge in that are dedicated for this. Actually, has been reorganized to be able to monitor what's happening and to help member states. This is really about making the system work. We're working closely with all member states, and we will continue to do so. So, not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new chapter. You have a follow-up?

Q (RND): Yes, thank you. May I ask you to touch on the second question? Is there any review, anything you plan to check, whether the member states have fully implemented all necessary aspects of the plan?

Spokesperson: Thanks very much. Yes, this is a continuous monitoring exercise. We are monitoring at the moment, and we will continue to monitor. Yeah.

Q (Swiss News Agency): Rafael Zwahlen with the Swiss News Agency. I have also a question to this. You said all the core pillars are in place, and other things must still be implemented. What are the core pillars, and what has to be still implemented? Can you be a bit more concrete? Thank you.

Spokesperson: Yes, thanks for the question. You know that we also have given a technical briefing where we've touched on these details really much in extensive. So, I'm not going to go into the details of which pillars, but what I can say is the core pillars of the system is that make the system work. So, what we will see is that all the member states will be working with the new system. This concerns notably the IT systems that are necessary to work for the whole system overall. But as I've said, work is ongoing. We will see, and we need to see also how this works in practice. So, we really need to understand a little bit. It's what Paula just put together as well. This is not the end of the journey. It's actually the start of the journey and the start of the new system, and we will only see also on the go what will need to be adapted. Work continues. Thank you. Other questions to Marcus? Yes, go ahead.

Taliban representatives visit logistics

Q (Dutch News Agency): Hi, this is Lauren from the Dutch News Agency. I was wondering if you were able to share some new information on the logistics on the visit from the representatives of the Taliban regime. They are expected this month, but I was wondering whether you could say something about this week, next week, upcoming weeks. Thanks so much.

Spokesperson: Thanks very much. Yes, we also had this question yesterday. I have no update at this stage. No update yet. Other questions to Marcus? No. Other questions in general? Neither. Good. So, that allows us to finish on time. For those who would like to follow the press statement by President von der Leyen, it will start at one. Wish you a good afternoon and a good day to our visitors too. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

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