People lay candles in front of the government office during a silent protest march in memory of murdered Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak and his girlfriend Martina Kusnirova in Bratislava, Slovakia on February 28, 2018 | Vladimir Simicek/AFP via Getty Images

MIDDAY BRIEF, IN BRIEF

Today at Commission: Journalist’s murder, Juncker’s Balkan trip

Brussels sends letter to Slovakia, asking about possible misuse of EU funds.

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Updated

On the agenda: Jean-Claude Juncker’s Balkan trip, posted workers, Interrail pass, the murder of Ján Kuciak.

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Slovakian journalist’s murder: The briefing was largely dominated by questions about the murder of Slovakian journalist Ján Kuciak, who was found dead with his partner on Sunday. When asked about Kuciak’s reporting on allegations that the Italian mafia was embezzling EU funds in Slovakia, Commission spokesman Alexander Winterstein said that Brussels relies on member countries to manage the use of EU subsidies.

Still, he added that the Commission has “zero tolerance for fraud” and therefore sent a letter to authorities in Slovakia, asking them to provide information about possible misuse of the agricultural funds.

Juncker in the Balkans: Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker spent the last day of his trip to the Balkans in Bulgaria on Thursday, holding a working lunch with the region’s national leaders. The day before, he visited Kosovo as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Posted workers: Following the seventh trilogue on the matter, the European Parliament, Commission and Council reached an agreement on the revision of the Posted Workers Directive. The new regulations establish “the principle of equal pay for equal work on the same place, whilst providing more legal certainty for both workers and employers.”

The agreement, which Winterstein described as “an important milestone,” is now awaiting “the final confirmation” from within the respective institutions.

Let the young travel: The Commission decided to implement the European Parliament’s proposal for a free Interrail pass for Europeans turning 18. The program will have a budget of €12 million this year and it is expected to benefit at least 20,000 young people. The first participants will start taking trips this summer.

Authors:
Aleksandra Wróbel