The European Commission says it wants to halve the number of buildings it manages in Brussels by 2030, from 50 to 25.
The buildings they intend to stop using are mainly those outside the European quarter and Place Charles Rogier, according to Bruzz.
The European Commission has long been considering ways of reducing its number of offices and centralising operations mainly around Schuman and Rogier.
The coronavirus crisis is now said to be giving that development a boost.
Since March 2020, a majority of their employees have worked from home, and that is unlikely to change any time soon.
The European Commission therefore wants to get rid of at least half of its current buildings, bringing its 780,000 square metres of office space down to 580,000.
According to the Francophone newspaper l'Echo, that would mean a saving of between €280 and €440 million.
Pascal Smet, who is responsible for European relations, told l'Echo that he is “perfectly aware of what is going on,” and that a meeting with the competent European Commissioner, Brussels Minister-President Rudi Vervoort and himself will take place in the coming weeks to discuss the matter.
The Brussels Times
