WRITTEN QUESTION E-2575/03 by Philip Claeys (NI) to the Commission. Settlement of new officials in and around Brussels.
Date: 2003-08-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Brussels region, European official, residence, use of languages

C 58 E/182

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2004

No date has yet been set for a report to be delivered by the future working group on eyesight. As
4.
indicated before, the subject of driving with bioptic lenses is not a priority subject for this working group
as it is in an experimental stage only. It will certainly require several years of research and of discussions
before being allowed officially.

(1) See page 52.

(2004/C 58 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2575/03

by Philip Claeys (NI) to the Commission

(6 August 2003)

Subject: Settlement of new officials in and around Brussels

In May 2004, ten new Member States will accede to the EU. That enlargement naturally goes hand-in-hand
with the recruitment of new officials from the countries concerned. Experience shows that most of the EU
officials currently employed in Brussels prefer to settle in one of Brussels City’s 19 municipalities or on the
outskirts of Brussels. However, a number of problems arise in the latter area, which lies in Flanders, i.e. in
a Dutch-speaking area. There are social problems (the presence of large numbers of European officials in
some municipalities has led to a surge in rents and house prices, with some young Flemish families being
forced to move away from their own area) as well as language-based problems. Many Flemish peripheral
areas are having to cope with the problem of French-speaking (Belgian) aliens who refuse to acknowledge
that Dutch is the language of the area. The gradual Frenchification of Flemish Brabant is a considerable
political problem. In several municipalities, known as ‘municipalities with (linguistic) facilities’, the original
Flemish inhabitants are already being reduced to a minority. The presence of a large number of EU officials
who cannot speak Dutch has frequently exacerbated this problem, not because they are unwilling but
mainly for other reasons, such as a lack of information.

Ways exist of combating this problem. New (or even current) officials might be offered incentives to settle
in nearby Walloon Brabant. They might also be made aware of the political situation on the outskirts of
Brussels and be encouraged to learn Dutch at the courses organised by the local authorities, etc.

Is the Commission prepared to consider these and other measures (cid:1) with due account being taken of the
date of enlargement (cid:1) in order to make it easier for new officials to settle in?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(29 September 2003)

the regularly organised welcome meetings for new colleagues,

At
the Adminfo service (which is
responsible for both the reception of and provision of information to new officials), explains both orally
and in its brochure ‘Welcome to the Commission’ the different aspects related inter alia to settling in
various locations around Brussels, the existence of three official
languages in Belgium and of Dutch-
speaking, French-speaking and bilingual areas.

Article 20 of the Commission’s Staff Regulations provides that an ‘official shall reside either in the place
where he is employed or at no greater distance therefrom as is compatible with the proper performance of
his duties’. Within the bounds of this Regulation, the selection of a place to live is of course a matter of
individual choice. In any event, the Commission has neither the wish, the powers nor the budget to give
officials incentives to settle in particular areas.

The Honourable Member will be aware that for most officials of the Commission choosing to live in the
outskirts of Brussels, neither Dutch nor French is their first language.