The leaders of EU Member States will once again be in Brussels for the European summit this week. As usual, several roads in the European Quarter will be closed off to pedestrians and cars and public transport will be disrupted.
The second European summit of this year will take place on Thursday 21 and Friday 22 March 2024 at the buildings of the Council of the European Union in Rue de la Loi.
Several security measures are being taken in the European Quarter in Brussels, specifically around the buildings of the EU Council buildings. Here, the police will set up a security perimeter, and only people with authorisation will be allowed to enter the perimeter on foot.
"The perimeter of the Schuman district will be closed from 11:00," the City of Brussels/ Ixelles police zone stated on social media. The security perimeter includes Schuman Square; Rue Froissart between numbers 101 and 143; Rue de la Loi, between Place Schuman and Residence Palace and between Schuman and Boulevard Charlemagne. Residents will have to show their access badge and their identity card.
"No deliveries will be possible, and no rubbish bags, bicycles or terraces may be placed on public roads within this security perimeter. For security reasons, all building windows must be closed."
Additionally, the Reyers tunnel towards the Centre will be closed at 10:00 on Thursday. "Traffic congestion is to be expected," the police noted, adding that commuters are advised to travel by public transport or bicycle.
The police shared a map of the surrounding streets and whether they will be completely closed off except for people with authorisation, accessible with an exemption badge or if local traffic can pass without a badge. In the neighbouring streets (rue Breydel, rue Archimède, avenue de Cortenbergh, avenue de la Joyeuse Entrée and avenue d’Auderghem), parking will be prohibited.
Buses diverted, entrances closed
Public transport operator STIB noted that the Schuman metro station at the heart of the EU institutions will remain open but that the access to rue Froissart, rue Archimède and the Schuman roundabout will be closed from Thursday 21 March at 10:00 until Friday 22 March. Access number 4 (at Residence Palace) will be closed from Thursday 21 March at 07:00 until Friday 22 March, but the entrances to the Schuman SNCB railway station (Berlaymont side) will remain open.
STIB added that bus lines 12, 21, 56, 60 and 79 will not stop at the Schuman station, but a connection to the metro is planned at Maelbeek. Bus lines 59, 60 and 80 will be diverted locally around Place Jourdan. The Froissart (bus 21, 27, 60) and Parc du Leopold (bus 21) stops will also not be served.
The agenda for the EU summit this week will include continued support for Ukraine, security and defence, the situation in the Middle East, enlargement (accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina), external relations, migration, agriculture and the European Semester.
