Brussels, Jan. 18, 2021 (Lusa) - The European Commission today insisted "on the importance" of a delegation going to Lisbon last Friday for the start of the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union, despite a positive case of Covid-19.
Last Saturday it was announced that the Portuguese finance minister, João Leão, had tested positive for Covid-19, the day after he took part in the official visit of the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the college of commissioners that went to Lisbon.
Asked on Monday about the relevance of this visit to the Portuguese capital, the main spokesman for the EU executive, Eric Mamer, insisted that this visit "was considered important in order to be able to have face-to-face discussions on important political dossiers".
Pointing out "that only one third" of the College of Commissioners took part in this official visit, a total of eight, he noted that the community executive "tried to take all the necessary precautions".
"What I can say is that these decisions are not taken lightly [...] and that it was considered important to have one-on-one discussions" with the ministers who will deal with matters such as the new Multiannual Financial Framework and the post-Pandemic Recovery Fund under the Portuguese presidency, added Eric Mamer.
Some of those bilateral meetings were between the finance minister, João Leão, and vice-presidents Margrethe Vestager (with the portfolio for A Europe Prepared for the Digital Age) and Valdis Dombrovskis (An Economy at the Service of the People), as well as the Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira.
For this reason, these three members of the college of Commissioners "are in isolation because they were considered close contact persons", the official source of the European Commission told Lusa last Saturday.
The official source told Lusa on Saturday that "neither the president [of the Community executive, Ursula von der Leyen] nor the other members of the college's delegation meet the criteria for being considered contact persons".
Today, the chief spokesman for the community executive, Eric Mamer, told the press that "depending on the importance of the event, it is held in person or by videoconference".
A delegation from the European Commission led by Von der Leyen visited Portugal last Friday in the framework of the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the EU, despite the more rigid confinement in the country due to Covid-19.
Ursula von der Leyen was accompanied on her trip to Lisbon by the three vice-presidents, Frans Timmermans (European Ecological Pact), Valdis Dombrovskis (An Economy at the Service of People) and Margrethe Vestager (Digital), the EU Vice-President and High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, by vice-presidents Margaritis Schinas (Promoting the European way of life) and Maros Sefcovic (Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight), by Portuguese commissioner Elisa Ferreira (Cohesion and Reforms), and by Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, who is responsible for Social Affairs, one of the main priorities of the Portuguese presidency.
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused more than two million deaths as a result of more than 93 million cases of infection worldwide.
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Lusa
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