EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/284

(2004/C 78 E/0284)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3438/03

by Koenraad Dillen (NI) to the Commission

(20 November 2003)

Subject: Renovation of the Berlaymont building

The renovation of the Berlaymont building on Place Schuman in Brussels has been in progress for several years. Because of extensive asbestos contamination, it was necessary to almost completely demolish the whole building.

Can the Commission state definitely when the renovation work will be completely finished?

When was it originally expected that the project would be completed?

What was the cost initially estimated when the contract for the project was awarded?

What firms ultimately participated in the renovation work?

Does the Commission now know what the final full cost of renovating the Berlaymont building will be?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(20 January 2004)

On 13 November 2002, the Commission signed a contractual Convention with the Belgian Government which established fixed delivery dates of:

— 31 December 2003 for the main part (Tower);

— 31 March 2004 for the meeting room of the Commission and associated interpretation facilities (13th floor); and

— 30 June 2004 for the multimedia zone (Press centre).

The responsibility for the renovation works lies entirely with the Belgian Government (SA Berlaymont 2000).

It has become clear in the most recent meetings that the Vice-President of the Commission in charge of Personnel and Administration has had with the Belgian Minister of Finance M. Didier Reynders that, despite advances with the works, the effective delivery date for the main part of the building (Tower) will be the end of April 2004, and for the meeting room of the Commission (13th floor) and the multimedia zone it will be the end of June 2004. As the Commission announced in its public press briefing on 16 December 2003, delivery of the building within this schedule would enable the new President of the Commission and the relevant staff to occupy the Berlaymont in good time before the new Commission takes up office on November 1st 2004. No further delay will, however, be acceptable.

As the Honourable Member may also be aware, from 1 January 2004 and until the Berlaymont is delivered, the Belgium government is liable for the full rental cost of the substitution buildings occupied by the Commission in lieu of the Berlaymont. Delays in completion of the 13th floor (containing the Commission room) beyond 1 April 2004 will also result in the payment of financial penalties to the Commission. There would be similar penalties for non-delivery of the multimedia zone by 1 July 2004.

The estimated cost for the renovation of the Berlaymont was given by the Commission in answer to Written Question E-3439/01 by Mr Vanhecke (1). That answer referred to the figure of BEF 13,1 billion (EUR 324 million) which was set down in the 1997 protocole d'accord between the Belgian Government and the Commission. The cost estimate provided by Berlaymont 2000 SA in its annual report for 2000 (published in June 2001) was for BEF 20,2 billion (EUR 500 million).

The cost of acquisition of the Berlaymont by the Commission after renovation as defined in the contractual Convention is EUR 553 million which includes EUR 503,3 million for the Commission's share in the renovation cost and EUR 49,6 million for the value of the building before renovation. However, detail of the real and/or final costs of the renovation is not available to the Commission because these figures are only available to the Belgian Government. It is clear, meanwhile, that delay in the execution of the works has added substantially to any final cost. According to a report submitted by Ernst and Young to the Commission dated 16 July 2002, the full cost of renovation could amount to BEF 29 044 billion (EUR 719 million).

The Berlaymont renovation is lead by a consortium called EuroConstruct which is composed of two companies: Bouygues (Fr) and Strabag (D).

(1) OJ C 160 E, 4.7.2002.