European Commission
Midday press briefing
The Commission runs a daily midday briefing for members of the Brussels media corps and other press temporarily in Brussels. It is held in the press room of the Berlaymont building, the Commission’s headquarters. The languages used every day are English and French.
For about half an hour the chief spokesperson and other Commission spokespeople provide short introductions to the latest proposals and then answer questions. This is sometimes followed by a series of more technical briefings on specific pieces of legislation. Commissioners themselves do not take part in the midday briefing unless a major proposal is to be announced. On that occasion, interpreatation into the 23 EU official languages is provided.
The spokespeople are the only officials, apart from Commissioners and Directors-General (of Commission departments), entitled to speak on the record on behalf of the institution. Civil servants working in the Commission’s Directorates-General (DGs) are not supposed to speak to the press. Nevertheless, once a working relationship has been established with an official, he or she can often be mentioned ‘off the record’ and can, in any case, offer valuable background information.
To see the list of the Spokesperson''s Service, click here
Accredited journalists to the EU institutions can attend the Commission briefings by showing their press passes. Non-accredited or visiting journalists holding a national press card can access the press room by reporting to the Berlaymont reception desk and showing their IDs and press cards. If in doubt, e-mail press-pressroom-team@ec.europa.eu or fax or telephone the press room team before arriving at the Commission headquarters.
For journalists not based in Brussels, the daily briefing can also be followed through:
- Europe by Satellite (EbS): a live streaming of the daily briefing. It also covers sessions of the European Parliament and some Council of Ministers press conferences. TV companies can obtain live feeds and stock shots of events from EbS free of charge.
- EU Press Room: the Commission’s virtual press room posts press releases and background material less than an hour after they are given to journalists in the Berlaymont building.
Audio-visual services
The Commission also runs an audio-visual service, a virtual media library stocked with real time audio-visual news coverage and historical and audio-visual material dating back to the 1940s. This material is free of charge for educational purposes and for broadcasters, news agencies, written press, and anyone wishing to spread information on the activities of the European Union.
The audio-visual service can be of great help for audio-visual reporters covering the EU on the spot. Two TV and two radio studios are available.
