MIDDAY IN BRIEF

Today at Commission, waiting for the Brits and walking back on EU prosecutor

Juncker is expected to mention UK election results in Prague on Friday morning.

As British voters head to the polling booth for their snap parliamentary election, the Commission refused to be drawn on how the results might affect Brexit negotiations.

“The only one speaking today is the sovereign British people, nobody else, and certainly not the European Commission,” said Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas, adding the customary comment that “we are ready” for talks with the U.K. to begin. Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is likely to react to election results on Friday morning in a news conference in Prague.

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POLITICO’s story on Justice Commissioner Věra Jourová, where she suggested that signing up to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office should be a pre-condition for receiving EU funds, caused a stir at the Commission briefing. Her spokesman Christian Wigand said Jourová “felt misquoted” in the story, which was based on an interview with a small group of journalists, including POLITICO.

POLITICO stands by the story, which we have updated with a quote that makes Jourová’s point even clearer.“I will be a strong promoter of having EPPO as one of the pre-conditionalities for the future financial budget,” she said in the group interview, which was recorded.

By way of context, the Czech commissioner’s proposal goes in a similar direction to German government position paper that suggests linking EU funds to respect for the rule of law — an idea which Juncker described as “poison.”

Schinas said the broader debate on whether EU funds should have strings attached to the rule of law will be addressed later this month when Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger will present a reflection paper on the future of the EU’s finances.

The EPPO will, according to EU treaties, be in charge of tackling the misuse of EU funds. On Thursday, 20 EU countries agreed the basis for legislation to set up the agency via an enhanced cooperation procedure, by which a group of member countries can choose to move ahead with integration measures faster than other countries.