Alexander Winterstein

EC spokesman Alexander Winterstein said that President Jean-Claude Juncker's position on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen has not changed, the BNR said. He said this in response to a question about the Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok's request during his visit in Bulgaria.

The European Commission on Friday denied a report in the state-run Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA) that claimed Greece's lenders had agreed to the non-implementation of pension cuts slated for January as they believe the country's social security system has become viable. 

Greece should deliver on the promises it has made to its international lenders under its bailout, the European Commission said on Friday when asked whether Greece was free to forego a planned pensions cut in 2019.

The European Union is considering the possibility of holding a summit with the Turkish leadership, European Commission spokesman Alexander Winterstein said at a press conference.

United Nations Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide is pushing Turkey’s side in the collapsed unity talks to reunify Cyprus, the leader of the island’s centrist DIKO party said.

Deputy spokesperson of the European Commission Alexander Winterstein said the role of the IMF in the Greek bailout program is provided for in the European Stability Mechanism’s (ESM) compliance charter.

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker on Sept. 9 ordered officials to draw up new plans for the EU's landmark free mobile phone roaming policy after it ran into fierce criticism.

About 55,000 EU civil servants will receive a pay rise of 2.4% this year that will translate into spending of some EUR 100 M from the bloc's budget, the state-run Bulgarian news agency BTA reported on Tuesday.