Kinnock warns Belgium over Berlaymont

Date: 05/02/04

INTERNAL Reform Commissioner Neil Kinnock has thrown down the gauntlet to the Belgian government by warning he will not tolerate any delays preventing the European Commission from returning to its "spiritual home", the Berlaymont, by the time a new EU executive takes office in November.

The Belgian government signed a contract in 2002 undertaking to hand over most of the massive edifice on Brussels' Rondpoint Schuman to the Commission by the end of last year - a deadline that was missed.

Replying to a European Parliament query, Kinnock said that Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders told him before Christmas that the "effective delivery date" for the main part of the building, known as "the Tower", will now be the end of April. Further work, though, will have to be done on the meeting room for commissioners and interpretation facilities on the 13th floor, as well as a hi-tech press centre, which are due to be completed by the end of June.

"No further delay will, however, be acceptable," Kinnock said.

Because of its failure to stick to the agreed timetable, Belgium's taxpayers are already footing the €30 million annual rental bill for seven buildings used by the Commission as substitutes for the Berlaymont, which has been closed since 1991 after it emerged that carcinogenic asbestos was used in its walls.

Eric Mamer, spokesman for Kinnock, has said the Belgian authorities will incur a monthly penalty of €221,000 if the Berlaymont is not ready by May.

Neil Kinnock, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs, says no further delay in returning the European Commission to the Berlaymont building will be acceptable. If the Berlaymont is not ready by May 2004, the Belgian authorities will incur a monthly penalty of €221,000.