Journalists raise fears of ‘death trap’ room at Brussels summit

Date: 17/06/04

By Martin Banks

A CONVERTED underground press centre where hundreds of journalists will be gathered for today's (17 June) Brussels summit has been condemned as a “potential death trap“.

Some of the international print and broadcast journalists covering the two-day meeting of EU heads of government will be based in a huge room, some 25 metres below ground level.

The room, a former undergroundcar park, is two floors beneath the city's cavernous Council of Ministers' Justus Lipsius building.

However, the Association de la Presse Internationale (API), which represents many of the 2,000-strong Brusselspress corps, says it has serious reservations over the safety of people working inthe centre in the event of a fire orother emergency.

The association has written to the Council's administration expressing its concern and asking what measures will be taken to safeguard journalists' safety.

In his reply, the Council's head of press, Dominique Georges Marro, says that, while the possibility of evacuation is remote, well-established procedures are in place in the event of an emergency.

He says: “The Council lays great emphasis on safety and security and all emergency exits, alarms and stairways in the building comply with the strictestsafety rules.”

Marro also points out that evacuation procedures are included in a press pack given to all media attending the summit.

However, his comments did little to reassure many journalists, including Jan Werts, representing the Dutch media, who described the temporary press centre as a “potential death trap“.

Werts, Brussels correspondent for several Dutch publications, has called for journalists to stage a demonstration during the summit in protest at inadequate safety precautions.

He said: “The simple fact of the matter is that this place simply isn't safe and nothing the Council has said makes me think otherwise.

“Hundreds of people will be packed into a room two floors below ground level yet, as far as I am aware, there is only one staircase for them to get out.

“What is going to happen if there is a fire or explosion? Can you imagine what it would be like?”

A Spanish journalist commented: “There is widespread concern, particularly about the lack of emergency exits. I dread to think what would happen if there was an explosion. It would be like New York's Twin Towers. People wouldn't stand a chance of getting out.”

Journalists covering the European Council in Brussels on 17-18 June 2004 raised safety fears over the press room which is located in a converted underground car park in the Council of the European Union's Justus Lipsius building.