Shrouded, but not in mystery

Date: 23/05/1996

In case anybody is still wondering, the Berlaymont shroud is definitely not a form of artistic expression, but a vital part of the painstaking asbestos removal project which has been going on with mixed results beneath it.

Who would have thought otherwise? Socialist MEP Gerhard Schmid, that's who. Schmid sought confirmation of the rumour that the building had been gift-wrapped by the internationally-renowned packaging artist Christo at the suggestion of Commissioner Martin Bangemann.

If this was not the case, Schmid wanted to know why the idea had not been taken up, as it would have saved a great deal of money. The written reply supplied by Budget Commissioner Erkki Liikanen tells the less-than-exciting truth: the “hermetic cover” is an integral part of the work required to remove the asbestos and the cost was met by the Belgian state under its contract with the company doing the work.

And, just for good measure, the Commissioner points out that although the Commission has entered into talks with the Berlaymont's owners, the private company Berlaymont 2000 (in which the Belgian state is the majority shareholder), no formal agreement has yet been reached about a possible return to the building.