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Brussels Live
Transcribed and translated by AI

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Good afternoon and welcome
to our midday briefing.

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We have two announcements for you today.

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And I will begin in French. First of all,
following today's meeting with the heads

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of cabinet of the European Commission,
I can I will now speak in French.

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First of all, following today's meeting
with the heads of cabinet of the European

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Commission, I can present you with
tomorrow's agenda for the College meeting, as

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well as the press events we are preparing.

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So, the College is expected to adopt a
European strategy for sustainable tourism,

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which will be the subject of the College's
minutes and a press conference by

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Commissioner Tsitsikostas. The College
will also adopt the European Commission's

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work programme for 2027, as well as the
2026 annual report on simplification.

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And a press conference by Commissioners
Dombrowski and Šefčovič will take place on

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this subject following
the College's round-up.

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Finally, the College will also adopt
the enlargement package, which will be

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presented at a press conference. by the
High Representative Callas and Commissioner

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Koss, and we we have
organised a technical briefing

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off the record

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on this subject tomorrow at 10 a.m.
So that is the agenda for the College.

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And the press events related to it. And
then, as usual, you will receive more

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detailed information by
email later in the afternoon.

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Now let me also draw your attention to
the fact that it's our first daily news of

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the month and we are publishing a table
as we are now systematically doing every

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month with the legislation which enters
into force or in application this month.

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Which may be useful for your reporting.
And it's linked to the daily news at the

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very end of it. And finally, let me
extend a very warm welcome to a group of

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visitors joining us in
our press room today.

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I understand we have 23 students from
the Utrecht School of Journalism.

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I hope you enjoy your time
here among future colleagues.

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And that you enjoy this midday too. And
that's it for our announcements and we can

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now take your questions.
Let me start here.

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Thank you. Alice Tyree for Rapporteur. I
have a question regarding the meeting that

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is meant to take place
in Brussels this week.

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With U.S. Special Envoys Steve Witkoff
and representatives from NATO, the EU,

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Germany, France, and the UK, could you
give us the name of the person who will be

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representing the EU? Thank you very much.

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Thank you. I can confirm that indeed this
week Wednesday, so tomorrow, the European

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Commission will host a meeting with
representatives from Ukraine, from the United

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States, France, Germany, the
UK, NATO, and the World Bank.

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And this meeting will build on earlier
talks that took place in Miami.

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With Ukraine, and with U.S. also at the
time, in view of a lasting sustainable peace

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in Ukraine. And the meeting on Wednesday
will focus on Ukraine's post-war

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reconstruction and prosperity, and on
our side it will be at the level of our

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national security advisor.
So high. Level officials.

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Yes, Gina.

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So I just wanted to quickly follow up. So
the Commission is hosting the meeting and

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did you know that Mr. Witkoff was going to
announce it on Twitter last night or on X

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last night or was that a surprise?

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Thank you. Indeed I confirm the Commission
is hosting this meeting tomorrow and

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obviously we are in touch with
our counterparts in the U.S.

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also regarding announcements
and the upcoming meetings.

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Yes, Gina, follow up.

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Yeah, thank you. That doesn't
quite answer my question though.

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Did you know that Mr. Witkoff was
going to announce it last night?

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I don't know if we knew. I know
that we are in contact with Mr.

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Witkoff and other representatives of
the United States regarding these talks.

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And therefore it's absolutely normal that
this is announced at some point and we

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have the opportunity to confirm that indeed
we are hosting this meeting here with

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you today at the midday. Yes, Vitali.

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Vitali Sizovov, Freedom TV
Channel. Just a short follow up.

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Do you expect a visit of President of Ukraine
because he announced it last week that

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he was going to visit Brussels but
then I think the visit was canceled?

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Thank you.

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I'm not aware of a visit of President
Zelensky to Brussels at least not in order to

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meet any commission representative. I'm
not aware of such meeting and visits for

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this week. Other. Questions? Laura Dubois.

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I don't know if it's
on this topic. Online.

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Laura.

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Yes, hi. Laura Dubois
for The Financial Times.

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Also on the meeting. Can you tell me who
will attend from the American side, please?

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Thank you.

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I cannot not yet. We'll have to wait
a bit for that piece of information.

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Other. Topics that you'd
like to raise today?

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Yes, please. Yeah. Yes.

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Hello Thibault Maillet from Arte.

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Today the Czech public media are on strike
to protest against the abolition of the

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license fee and the cuts to their budget.
Under the European Media Freedom Act,

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member states must ensure that public
services media have sufficient, sustainable,

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and predictable fundings in the. European
Commission view are the measures adopted

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in the first reading in
Czechia in breach of the EMFA.

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Thank you, Thibault. I'll
ask Markus to join us.

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On the media-related
legislation in Czechia.

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Thank you very much for your question. We
are aware of the decisions by the Czech

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Parliament's Chamber of Deputies and the
approval of the bill at first reading

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earlier. In October. We will continue to
follow closely the developments what I can

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say more in general on our position on
public service media is that public service

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media play a special role in ensuring that
citizens have access to information and a

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diverse content offering. And as a matter
of fact the European Media Freedom Act

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EMFA contains a number of safeguards to
ensure media freedom and pluralism in the EU

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including in relation to the independent
functioning of public service media.

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The implementation of the EMFA is a priority
for the Commission and we are in close

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contact with all member states including
the Czechia to ensure that the EMFA is

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being complied with.

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Thibault, you have a follow up.

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So have you been in contact with
the Czech government and when?

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And NGOs have also pointed out that
most EU member states have not yet fully

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implemented the EMFA. What is the Commission's
response to this concerns and what's

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your analysis? Thanks very much. Yes, I
can confirm that we have been in touch with

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the Czech authorities. The Czech authorities
have also replied to a letter that

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we've sent earlier. And we are
currently assessing the letter.

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The reply.

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Okay. Other questions for
Markus? And Matúš online?

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Hello, can you hear me?

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Yes, Anna we can.

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Perfect. Thank you so much. Anna,
much thanks for the Portuguese agency.

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I have some questions regarding
the portrait protest in Portugal.

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I wonder if the Commission is
accompanying a monitoring I'm sorry.

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The situation and do you have some how some
concerns of the police crackdown on the

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protesters in Portugal? There
was also one ruling yesterday.

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So is the Commission aware about this
latest court ruling of the right to

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demonstrate? All you can say
about this. Thank you so much.

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Thanks. Thank you very much, Anna.
Well, I can only be very brief on this.

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You know national authorities are competent
for maintaining public order and law

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enforcement matters so this is
something for the national authorities.

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Good. Thank you. Other
questions to Markus?

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I don't see any. Other topics that
you'd like to raise today Antoine?

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Thank you, Paula. Antoine Muto
for Japanese Public TV and HK.

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This is about the latest incidents
regarding supermarket fridges across Europe.

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What is please your assessment of the
situation and also how high do you perceive

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the risk that this could be the result
of government sponsored hybrid attack?

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Example given emanating
from Russia. Thank you.

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Thank you, Antoine. Tomorrow give
us the latest on our side on this.

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Thank you, Paula. Bonjour Antoine. So
the European Commission is definitely in

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direct contact with the member states and
the relevant national authorities which

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are the ones currently carrying out the
investigations of very important to keep in

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mind. Now I can confirm that this morning
we have convened two meetings a first one

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early this morning with the EU inter-institutional task force this is together with

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the EU agencies so you have ENISA you
have Europol and you have of course the

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relevant commission services that were there
so that was a first meeting and another

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meeting in the late morning today this time
coordinated with EU Cyclone so this is a

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meeting with the member states with the
national authorities including the ones that

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were affected here what is important is
to have information sharing of course of

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what happened how to best respond to this
collectively because it's not limited to

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one member states but to several member
states and these incidents of course show

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once again how cyber attacks can disrupt
essential services and affect citizens'

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daily lives now on the attribution let me
be extremely careful here it is not for us

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from this podium to attribute such
cyber incidents I just said that the

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investigations are currently being carried
out by the national authorities and we're

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in close contact with them.

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Yes. Antoine you have a follow up?

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Thank you, Toma. Since it already happened
that kind of incident obviously happened

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as well in France some weeks ago do you see
any link between the two since yesterday

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it happened not only in one country but
if I'm not mistaken at least five or even

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six countries across the
European Union and also how.

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Yeah. What is your level of preparedness
preparedness towards the potent the

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possibility that this could come from a
foreign intelligence or a foreign actor or

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from abroad I mentioned Russia because I
can imagine this is right now one of the

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countries which is maybe not suspected
but at least in the radar of many people

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across Europe so yeah thank
you. Thanks again Antoine.

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I would be extremely careful
when it comes to attributions.

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It's not for us to do for now.
Now what do these incidents show?

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Definitely that I mean these are not isolated
incidents and of course we have to be

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collectively resilient and
prepared for such cyber incidents.

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This is why the EU has of course put an
entire toolbox at its disposal to support

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member states. I mean here you have for
example I can mention a couple of them but

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you have the cyber resilience act which
is focusing on devices and to increase the

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resilience of our
manufacturers and companies.

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For these devices but also of course the
cyber solidarity act where we cooperate

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with member states and NIS2. So these are
just some examples of what we have already

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put in place to tackle what is indeed an
increased number of cyber incidents that

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are affecting the EU.

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Thank you. Other questions
to Toma? Nope. Other topics?

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Yes please. Elli Hila from
Finnish Podcasting Company YLE.

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I have a question regarding Russian
athletes competing in the EU area.

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Most recently international ice hockey
federation welcomed the Russian team to join

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the games next year in Germany. How does
the commission view these developments?

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Should Russian athletes
be competing in Europe?

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And related to that as the commission is
preparing a proposal on visa restrictions

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for Russians are athletes
somehow included in this?

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And what's the timetable
for for this proposal?

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Thanks.

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Good afternoon everybody.
Thank you for the question.

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I cannot reply on visa. That
would be more for my colleague.

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What I can say regarding the international
ice hockey federation and the appeal

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against against this against the decision
of the federation we take note of the

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decision of the ruling of the court in
relation to participation of Russian teams in

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competitions organized by the international
ice hockey federation in line with the

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autonomy of sport international federations
are responsible for their decisions and

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it's up to them to decide about the
organization of the sport events about the

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participants etc. However both federations
and member states should act in line with

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the EU sanctions and restrictive measures.

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We also observe that the hockey federation
decision to include Russian teams from

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international competitions had been
deemed necessary to protect the safety and

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security of all participants and safeguard
the integrity of its competition.

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So now we need to wait for the reaction of
the international ice hockey federation.

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We always say that sport. Should not
serve as a tool of propaganda and that

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normalization of Russian and Belorussian
athletes in international competitions as

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long as the war in Ukraine continues is is
something what we don't want to support.

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There is also a decision of the European
Council from mid-October where member

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states expressed their view that as long
as there is no just and lasting peace in

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Ukraine there should not be a normalization
of Russia's and Belarus participation in

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international sports and cultural events.
So no Russian anthems symbols and flags in

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the sports events in
Europe are are supported.

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Thank you. And on the question regarding
the visa we have no further comment at this

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stage to to offer. Other questions to Eva
since we have her with us on the podium?

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No? Other topics that
you'd like to raise today?

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Yes.

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Alors que plusieurs États membres de
l'Union européenne mais aussi des pays

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candidats sont ébranlés depuis des semaines
par des manifestations violentes des

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pillages voire même en France un attentat
qualifié par les autorités de terroriste

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et raciste viennent de s'ouvrir à Dakar
les Jeux Olympiques de la jeunesse.

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Cet événement sportif mondial le premier
du continent africain ne nous rappelle-t-il

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pas l'importance cruciale de la coopération
avec ce très jeune continent de plus de

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1 milliard 500 000 individus et ce poumon
vert de la planète à la veille de la COP

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31 et qui regorge aussi de nombreuses
richesses comme les minéraux stratégiques etc.

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Question. Où en est maintenant la coopération
avec avec l'Afrique compte tenu que la

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Russie et la Chine sont
aussi sur le terrain?

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Merci.

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Merci Odile et c'est bien d'avoir des
questions aussi concernant comme on a eu tout

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à l'heure. Le sport et c'est très bien
effectivement que l'Afrique soit l'hôtesse de

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ces Jeux Olympiques la jeunesse que tu
as mentionné et pour ce qui est de notre

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coopération et elle est large très large
si tu regardes par exemple tout ce qui

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concerne les projets Global Gateway et
tout ce qu'on fait pour promouvoir les

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investissements pour promouvoir le bien-être
de des populations toutes à travers de

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l'Afrique ça c'est un des instruments
qu'on a pas seulement avec l'Afrique mais

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aussi avec l'Afrique si tu regardes ce que
on est en train de faire par exemple pour

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tout ce qui concerne les les les matériaux
les critical raw materials où on envisage

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de stimuler que les les nations africaines
puissent développer elles-mêmes ces

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ressources au lieu de les envoyer envoyer
tu as mentionné c'est notamment la Chine

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pour être raffinée là-bas donc on est en
train d'avoir des alliances étroites dans

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si tu regardes pratiquement toutes les
politiques que ça soit le commerce que ça

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soit le digital que ça soit bien évidemment
le le développement la connectivité où

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on est en train notamment de soutenir le
développement pour tout ce qui concerne la

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connectivité qui était essentielle pour
le développement tu n'as qu'à choisir la

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politique préférée et voir que on a une
une un rapport très étroit avec l'Afrique

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qui reste qui reste une priorité
pour nous tous ici à la Commission.

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Voilà. D'autres questions
pour nous aujourd'hui?

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David.

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Thank you Paula. David Price your democracy
and In Canada the president made an

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announcement that in the spring of next
year there will be a meeting of the full

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college and the government of Canada
I would like to have a little bit more

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information about this it seems if you
have a meeting of the commission which is

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supposed to be representative of the
European people and also impartial and behind

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closed doors you have if you have a government
presence then you're going to have a

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super lobbyist involved in European affairs
I'm wondering what sort of thought is

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behind this concept of having a government
and college meeting of this nature if it

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need that it need if it takes place in a
democratic framework it needs to be open so

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will the meeting be open secondarily is
this a start of a larger arrangement of

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having governments sitting in with the
commission are we going to see for example

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Norway Switzerland maybe even United Kingdom
sitting in with the the commission to

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have discussions the commission is supposed
to be impartial and I'd like to know

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what sort of democratic safeguards you've
got so that the people can also have their

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their word rather than just governments.

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Thank you David. So at last week's I would
say historic summit between the EU and

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Canada indeed one of the points discussed
there was the idea of Canada becoming an

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associate member of the EU and as President
von der Leyen had the opportunity to

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outline notably at her press conference
last Friday in Montréal this vision which is

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shared by by the member states and is
translated in a comprehensive joint

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declaration which came out of this summit
these this this vision is then anchored in

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three very concrete pillars and those
pillars are the policies the programs and

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governance and the question you raised
concerns precisely the governance where it is

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about bringing our institutions much closer
together we started with the commission

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the council of course in the summit with
the presence of both President von der

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Leyen and President António Costa and this
could also in the future entail contacts

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from parliament to parliament even maybe
from court to court but the meeting between

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the college and the government of of Canada
as was announced last week would be a

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very concrete follow-up to
the summit and building.

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On what happened already last week basically
last week there were several members of

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the college who participated in this summit
and who had the occasion to discuss with

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their counterparts in Canada from the
government various specific areas where we are

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willing and ready to engage further in view
of this closer partnership and a further

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meeting between the college members the
full college and the full government of

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Canada is just a building up of this
discussions and a follow-up to the summit last

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week yes please oh. Sorry
David yes a follow-up.

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Yes thank you I would like to know whether
this these meetings will be open because

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the commission is set up to be an impartial
body which can make proposals if it is a

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closed door meeting then you have the
proposer of European legislation in in behind

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closed doors with another body which we
can call a lobbyist in in the larger sense

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of the word it's a super lobbyist so will
the meetings be open or or how what sort

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of format do you you do you
plan to have these meetings

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Well the meetings will be as open as
any other meetings with other foreign

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governments where we have and we did so
already last week share with you a lot of

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information about the discussions taking
place in these type of meetings with

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notably a press conference and the
possibility to go further into what has been

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discussed so it should not be different
from other meetings that take place

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regularly with governments
across the world yes please

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Okay Dutch newspaper Trouw I have a
follow-up question on the summit last week EU

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Canada Prime Minister Carney said that
Canada will be on board of Made in Europe

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program is that so or is it a subject for
negotiations the coming month and the same

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with UK there soon will be a summit with
UK will be this subject of this summit as

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well thank you

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Thank. You I. Can only say what actually
also President von der Leyen said with a

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similar question that she got at the press
conference on whether the you refer to

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the Made in Europe that's that is part
of the industrial accelerator act and the

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president has been very clear that according
to our proposal the proposal from the

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commission it includes all the countries
with whom we have a free trade agreement

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that is clearly the case of Canada with
whom as you know we have set up so indeed

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Canada would be part of the industrial
accelerator act but again it is still being

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negotiated. Other questions
for us today? Yes please.

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Thank you. Víbor Vlainić,
Croatian Radio Television.

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A group of MEPs sent a letter to the
president of the commission and to the

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commissioner Šefčovič asking them to
remove the protective measures on import of

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electrotechnical steel which is a critical
raw material to produce transformers.

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And they're arguing that the European
producers don't don't have enough of their own

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domestic steel to produce transformers.
Which puts them in a bad position because

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with the measures which were introduced
in September import is becoming more

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00:29:20,337 --> 00:29:28,850
expensive and this situation is making
it more affordable to import finished

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products transformers from
third countries namely China.

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So the question is will you reply to the
letter of the members of the parliament and

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will the commission adjust or maybe
remove those temporary measures?

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Thank you.

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Thank you. I'm looking at the team and
all of here we are not aware yet of this

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letter but if you say that it's been sent
probably it has maybe it hasn't arrived we

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will check look at the at the exact content
of the letter and get back and of course

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if this letter is received as any letter
from an MEP it will get its due attention

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and response. Other
questions for us today?

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Not the case. So thank you very
much. Thank you to our interpreters.

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Wish you a very good afternoon.