WRITTEN QUESTION E-2510/03 by Roberto Bigliardo (UEN) to the Commission. Rental of the City Center Building.
Date: 2003-07-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Brussels region, European Commission, administration of the Institutions, personnel administration, property leasing

C 65 E/166

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

13.3.2004

(2004/C 65 E/181)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2510/03

by Roberto Bigliardo (UEN) to the Commission

(29 July 2003)

Subject: Rental of the City Center Building

The Commission’s Brussels Office for infrastructures and logistics (OIB) is about to rent the City Centre
Building near the Gare du Nord district even though the administration’s health and safety unit has advised
it not to do so.

The Brussels property lobby has been attempting for years, without success, to persuade the Commission
to establish a third centre of activity for the European institutions in the Gare du Nord district.

Is the rental of the City Center Building intended to pave the way for a large-scale transfer of staff to

1.
the Gare du Nord district?

If so, can the Commission say why it is choosing to move officials to an area with serious problems

2.
as regards quality of life and security?

Could the Commission say, at all events, what it will do to stop the rental of the City Center

3.
Building?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(3 November 2003)

Consideration of the ‘City Center’ as a possible location for Commission staff originated from a request of
the administrative services of
to occupy the ‘Montoyer 75’ building (MO75). The
Commission responded positively to this request and asked the OIB to search for a new building in
which to relocate the officials of the Directorate General for Research and Technological Development (DG
RTD) who currently occupy MO75.

the Parliament

Over an extended period the Parliament had itself commenced negotiations to lease City Center for its own
requirements if it became evident that an exchange with the Commission was not possible. In the apparent
absence of alternative options which would have allowed the Commission to vacate MO75 by the date
requested by the Parliament, OIB took over these negotiations. After due consideration it was recognised
that City Center would not be suitable, and OIB therefore continued to work to finding better alternatives,
within or close to the European quarter. Despite some complications, discussions on a more suitable
option are now progressing, and the promoters of the City Center project have been informed that
Commission services will not be taking this building.

For the record,
it should be noted that the CSHT (Comité de Sécurité et Hygiène au Travail) of the
Commission in Brussels did not reach either a negative or a positive opinion on the suitability of City
Center and the USHT (Unité de Sécurité et Hygiène au Travail) laid down a number of conditions to be
fulfilled for occupying the building. It is consequently not strictly accurate to suggest that consideration of
the possibility of renting City Center was against the advice of health and safety specialists in the
Commission.

(2004/C 65 E/182)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2511/03

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(29 July 2003)

Subject: Ventimiglia to Monaco railway line out of use: appeal to the Commission to approach the French

authorities

The fact that the stretch of line between Ventimiglia and Monaco is out of use owing to the work being
carried out in the Roquebrune tunnel is severely harming Ventimiglia’s economy, bearing in mind also that
the work is scheduled to continue until at least the end of 2003.