Summer officially begins for the European Commission next week, with the daily midday briefing moving from the regular press room to a much smaller space in the Berlaymont headquarters.

On Friday, deputy spokesman Alexander Winterstein said the EU would “remain vigilant” and watch developments between the U.S. and Russia on sanctions. The U.S. Senate on Thursday gave final approval to a package of sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea — a move that could hurt European companies.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the Commission president, had said that the EU could retaliate if the U.S. approved such sanctions, but Winterstein did not provide clues on when such action would be announced, if at all.

He said it was “not up to the Commission to intervene in the U.S. legislative process.”

Winterstein also said Juncker on Friday morning spoke to Angela Merkel. The German chancellor tried to ring Juncker on Thursday during a press conference with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič.

The spokesman reassured reporters that Juncker has regular calls with EU leaders.

The Commission was less vocal on a Brexit proposal made by British Chancellor Philip Hammond on his desire for a transition period of up to three years. Winterstein said the Commission was working “on one thing at the time,” saying separation issues — such as the divorce bill — were the top priority.

The deadline for EU cities to bid for the European Medicines Agency and European Banking Authority is on Monday, but Winterstein wouldn’t say how many bids had been received for the agencies, which must leave London because of Brexit.

He did say that the EU trust fund for Africa approved a €46 million program for border management in Libya.