Fury as secret plans for Berlaymont are dumped in car park

by Martin Banks

Date: 15/01/04

DETAILED plans of the European Commission's newly renovated Berlaymont headquarters have been found dumped in a Brussels car park.

The discovery of the documents, which show every aspect of the interior of the distinctive star-shaped building, was described as an "unbelievable" security blunder by an MEP targeted in the recent letter-bomb attacks on the EU institutions.

"To a terrorist, this could have been a heaven-sent opportunity to cause havoc and bloodshed," said UK Socialist deputy Gary Titley.

The European Commission has launched a full inquiry into how the sensitive documents came to be there.

They were found lying in an open cardboard box in the underground car park of the nearby Résidence Palace, home of the new International Press Centre (IPC).

Contractors working on the Berlaymont project have offices in a Belgian government building adjacent to the IPC. At the time the documents were discovered, there was nothing to stop anyone gaining access to the car park as its normal entry controls were not in place.

Incredibly, although the company overseeing the renovation of the Berlaymont was immediately alerted by the Commission and European Voice, the box containing the plans was still there several days later.

Titley, whose wife narrowly escaped serious injury when she opened an incendiary device sent to his constituency office earlier this month, said: "I am, frankly, stunned that such a potentially sensitive document could have been dumped in a car park.

"You would think that, given recent events, security would be uppermost in people's minds.

"But even if you improve security it is not much use if you are effectively handing out plans to such buildings."

The 242,000 square metre Berlaymont, in the heart of Brussels'European quarter, was vacated in 1991 after warnings that asbestos used in its construction posed a serious health threat.

The building, due to reopen on 1 May, will eventually house more than 3,000 staff and 30 commissioners from current and future member states.

Luc Kint, chief executive of Berlaymont 2000, the company responsible for the renovation, described the lapse in security as "totally unacceptable", adding: "These are secret plans and I've no idea how they came to be there, although I will try to find out.

"Obviously, this could have posed a security risk if these plans had fallen into the wrong hands."

At least two of the 50 contractors involved in the renovation have offices in the Résidence Palace, and Kint said it is possible an employee may have left the plans in the car park by mistake. "Given that there are more than 900 people working on the site it would be very difficult to stop something like this happening," claimed Reijo Kemppinen, spokesman for Commission President Romano Prodi, who was also targeted in the recent wave of letter-bomb attacks.

He added: "We regard this as a very serious matter and have asked for an explanation as to how it happened. After we have received the building we will endeavour to ensure it meets all necessary standards, including our expectations for security."

Hannu Hyzaerinen, head of a unit at the Commission's security division, said: "Clearly, we will have to look at possible measures to prevent a repetition as these plans should not have been left here."

Claude Moniquet, of the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Centre, blamed a "lax" attitude, adding: "It is time the EU took the issue of security of its own buildings far more seriously." Further reaction came from Eric Mamer, spokesman for Commission Vice-President Neil Kinnock, who said: "We'll take every step to ensure the building is safe and will take this incident into account."

Renovation of the Berlaymont has been marked by more than 12 years of rising costs and missed deadlines.

The repair bill has mushroomed 13-fold from the original €94 million to the latest estimate of €1.3 billion. Dubbed the "Berlaymonster" , the building was supposed to be back in service by December, but is now not expected to be finished until the end of April. The Commission stopped paying the annual €15 million rent on it last month but the Belgian state has agreed to continue meeting the annual €30 million cost of the seven "substitute" buildings used while it has been closed.

Mamer said the Belgian authorities will incur a monthly penalty of €221,000 if the main building is not ready by the target date of May.

Detailed plans showing every aspect of the interior of the Berlaymont headquarters of the European Commission were found dumped in a Brussels car park in January 2004.