‘Megalomaniac plan’: EU body’s proposal to spend €3.6M on conference hall slammed by staff

BRUSSELS — The EU body representing local and regional authorities has laid out plans for a €49 million renovation of its Brussels headquarters — but has omitted from its public disclosures a proposed new 450-seat conference hall estimated to cost €3.6 million.

Details of the proposed “conference hub” for the Committee of the Regions, which brings together mayors and other local leaders, are contained in separate documents, seen by POLITICO.

The hub’s absence from the internal documents has provoked criticism from trade unions and staff who say it demonstrates a lack of transparency.

The size and features of the hub — the cost of which forms part of the €49 million — suggest it would be designed as a chamber to host the institution’s 329 members for their plenary sessions, which are held up to six times a year.

According to the documents, the hub would include booths for interpreters, VIP areas and press facilities. The documents say it would provide “autonomy from European Parliament and European Commission buildings,” as Committee of the Regions plenary sessions are currently held in the Parliament or in the Commission’s Charlemagne building.

Staff and unions say the plans have not been transparent enough. An official at an EU staff union, granted anonymity to speak freely, described the project as “this megalomaniac plan.”

A Committee of the Regions press officer said leadership had prepared and shared details of the hub with the Commission for Financial and Administrative Affairs — which deals with admin and budgets at the Committee — and had discussed it with the staff committee on March 25, the same day that POLITICO contacted the institution for comment. 

Renovation plans

On Tuesday, the Committee’s leadership will decide whether to proceed with plans to demolish the two lower floors and the interior courtyard of the Bertha von Suttner building (named after the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize), which is located next to the European Parliament, as well as an adjoining building (Remorqueur, or REM).

A report called Building Strategy suggests the space could generate revenue by being rented out to other EU institutions, at rates of up to €1,400 per half-day. Combined with estimated annual savings of €272,000 as there would no longer be a need to rent out other spaces, total income and savings from the hub are projected to reach €15.47 million over 17 years.

Unions have raised concerns about how the space will be divided up, pointing to relatively generous provisions in the new plans for representatives of local authorities — including offices and meeting rooms — compared with tighter conditions for staff.

In addition to the €49 million renovation cost, the institution would also need to rent a “temporary buffer building” for two years during construction at an estimated annual cost of €2.8 million, depending on market availability.

The press officer said the buildings have reached the end of their normal lifespan and require upgrades to meet fire safety, health, environmental, security and business continuity standards.

A first consultation meeting on renovations and new facilities took place on March 16 and involved senior management. Unions and staff said last week they were not consulted, even though the project was advancing toward approval.

A final decision on the plans is expected on May 5 by the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions, which brings together the main political groups.

Race for the top job

Concerns about the building process reflect broader tensions within the Committee, which are linked to a reappointment process for the role of secretary-general.

The current secretary-general, Czech official Petr Blížkovský, who has held the post since December 2019, is nearing the end of his mandate. A job notice was posted on Monday.

Blížkovský said he would decide whether to apply once the vacancy notice is published, while emphasizing his “devotion to the CoR” and noting that he secured “the most favorable discharge by the European Parliament in the history of the CoR,” a reference to the Parliament’s positive approval of the body’s financial management and budget execution.

According to Cristiano Sebastiani, president of the Renouveau & Démocratie EU staff union, the role carries significant influence due to its control over administrative and financial resources.

“During reappointment periods, the role involves campaigning and making promises,” Sebastiani said. “That can open the door to procedures that are not always fully transparent.”

Tensions also extend to disputed hiring practices, including the recruitment of a contract agent (a non-permanent staff member) on an unusually long four-year contract. Most such contracts last one to two years. Staff representatives claim the candidate is the son of a recently retired internal auditor, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

Responding to the allegations, a press officer said the recruitment “was carried out in full compliance with the Staff Regulations and internal rules,” including standard assessment procedures and conflict-of-interest checks. The longer contract, they added, ensures continuity and responds to calls for greater HR predictability.