Midday brief, in brief

Today at Commission, Maastricht at 25 and Brexit pub etiquette

Juncker celebrates signing landmark treaty and Brits must pay their bills.

Twenty-five years ago, the treaty of Maastricht was signed, transforming the European Economic Community into the European Union. While much has changed in the past quarter of a century, one EU leader from that time is still at the top table.

That is, of course, Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission who signed the treaty as the finance minister of Luxembourg.

Today “in a great emotional moment,” according to Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas, Juncker visited the Commission’s department for culture and education — which “represents the soul of the Commission” — to celebrate the Maastricht milestone. This was because the department is coordinating the celebration of another landmark — 30 years since the establishment of the Erasmus program for students.

“Juncker is still at the frontline for a united and cohesive Europe,” Schinas added.

But let’s return to 2017. The Commission still believes the Greek bailout program is “credible and ambitious,” despite the board of the International Monetary Fund being divided on the issue on Monday in Washington.

It also published nine initial European proposals for the upcoming trade talks between the EU and Indonesia. Those proposals were discussed at the last round of talks between January 24 and January 27. 

The pub analogy

Schinas also confirmed a Brexit technical meeting between EU sherpas and the Commission’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier focused on citizens’ rights and the financial settlement of the U.K. in the EU budget. Other similar meetings will take place in the coming months and potentially before the U.K. notifies the bloc that it is leaving under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

Schinas said the U.K. “with the [EU] membership has taken on financial commitments, and they should be honored in full” in order to deliver an “orderly separation” between London and the rest of the EU.

And the best way to get a Brit on board with this idea? Draw an analogy with a night out at the pub, apparently. “You still need to pay for your round,” Schinas said, adding it would not be gentlemanly “to ask for another round and to leave.”

Tomorrow …

The College of commissioners is expected to be a short one as the only agenda item highlighted is a progress report on relocation and resettlement of refugees and migrants.

A press conference is scheduled for 11:30 AM but we still do not know who will present the College’s readout.