“A megalomaniacal plan.” EU body's proposal to spend €3.6 million on a conference room criticized by employees
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR), the body of the European Union that represents local and regional authorities, is preparing a renovation of the headquarters in Brussels, but an amount of 3.6 million for a conference room does not appear in the documents.
European Union Brussels PHOTO: Profimedia
The EU body that represents local and regional authorities has unveiled plans for a €49 million renovation of its Brussels headquarters — but omitted from the information released a proposed new 450-seat conference hall, which is estimated to cost €3.6 million.
Details of the proposed “conference center” for the Committee of the Regions, which brings together mayors and other local leaders, are contained in separate documents, writes Politico.
The center's absence from internal documents has drawn criticism from unions and staff, who say it demonstrates a lack of transparency.
The dimensions and features of the center — whose cost is part of the €49 million — suggest that it would be designed as a hall intended to host the institution's 329 members during plenary sessions, which take place up to six times a year.
According to the documents, the center would include booths for performers, VIP areas and spaces for the media. The documents state that it would provide “autonomy from the buildings of the European Parliament and the European Commission”, as plenary sessions of the Committee of the Regions are currently held in Parliament or in the Commission's Charlemagne building.
Staff and unions say the plans were not transparent enough. An EU staff union official, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, described the project as “this megalomaniacal plan”.
A Committee of the Regions press officer said management representatives had prepared and shared details of the center with the Committee on Financial and Administrative Affairs — which deals with administration and budgets within the Committee — and discussed it with the staff committee on March 25.
Renovation plans
On Tuesday, Commission leadership will decide whether to go ahead with plans to demolish the two lower floors and the inner courtyard of the Bertha von Suttner building (named after the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize), located next to the European Parliament, as well as an adjacent building (the Remorqueur, or REM).
A report entitled “The real estate strategy” suggests that the space could generate income by renting it out to other EU institutions at rates of up to €1,400 per half day. Together with the estimated annual savings of €272,000, as there would be no need to rent other premises, the total revenue and savings generated by this center are estimated to reach €15.47 million over a period of 17 years.
Unions have raised concerns about how space will be shared, pointing to relatively generous provisions in the new plans for local authority representatives — including offices and meeting rooms — compared to the more restrictive conditions imposed on staff.
In addition to the renovation cost of 49 million euros, the institution would also have to rent a “temporary transitional building” for a period of two years during the construction works, at an estimated annual cost of €2.8 million, subject to market availability.
The spokesman said the buildings had reached the end of their normal life and required upgrades to meet fire safety, health, environmental, security and business continuity standards.
A first consultation meeting on the renovations and new facilities was held on March 16 and involved top management. Unions and staff said last week they had not been consulted, even as the project moved forward for approval.
The Bureau of the Committee of the Regions, which brings together the main political groups, is expected to take a final decision on the plans on May 5.
