European Commission sells off 23 Brussels buildings

The European Commission said Monday (29 April) it would raise an estimated €900 million by selling some of its buildings as it seeks to shrink its office space by a quarter.

The 23 buildings will be acquired by the Belgian sovereign wealth fund which plans to renovate them so they are more sustainable, and then put them back on the market as businesses and housing.

Brussels wants to transform the European Quarter where most EU institutions are located so that it becomes more people-friendly, with less of a sterile, glass-and-steel vibe.

Plans have been drawn up to make the area a place where “office buildings co-exist harmoniously with dwellings, retail and leisure,” a joint statement from the Commission and Belgium’s government said.

There would be “relaxing public spaces with more vegetation and more space for active mobility” that would boost the district’s cultural and residential attractiveness, it said.

The Belgian government’s interest in doing so is to “anchor” the EU institutions in the city, and make the capital “even more international, modern and green”.

For the commission, the sale goes towards the aim of occupying fewer and more energy-efficient buildings as its need for office space declines with more staff working from home part of the time.

“The sale will help us achieve our objectives to reduce the number of buildings by 50% and our surface by 25%,” said the EU budget and administration commissioner Johannes Hahn.

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