Council in Brussels crèche battle

Author (Person)
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Series Details Vol.11, No.5, 10.2.05
Publication Date 10/02/2005
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By Florence Biquet

Date: 10/02/05

The Council of Ministers is deadlocked in discussions with the commune of Schaerbeek over the creation of a crèche for its Brussels-based staff.

The Council submitted an application last autumn for planning permission for a 180-place crèche in a building between the chaussée de Louvain and avenue Brabançonne, near Place Dailly. The Council does not yet have its own crèche, unlike the European Commission and the European Parliament.

But discussions between Schaerbeek and the Council are still deadlocked, so the matter has been referred to Françoise Dupuis, minister in charge of urbanism in the Brussels regional government who is hoping that the two sides can reach an agreement. She has the power to take a decision herself but either side could appeal.

Schaerbeek wants "a gesture of goodwill" said Michel de Herde, echevin (alderman) for children.

"What we want is a good relationship between Schaerbeek and the EU. Eurocrats, as they are sometimes being nicknamed, are short of 500 places, but Schaerbeek also is lacking 500 places for their children," she said.

"We basically accept the Council demand on one condition: we are asking them for ten places out of 180." Schaerbeek has scaled back its demand from an original request for 10%.

The Council has agreed in principle to open its crèche to the Schaerbeek population but argues that it has no jurisdiction to subsidise places for children of non-EU civil servants. On the other hand, a new crèche means around 40-50 new jobs for Belgian nursery nurses. Dupuis's office is weighing in the balance the benefits of reducing the high pressure on existing crèches against such problems as increasing the traffic in the neighbourhood.

Earlier attempts by the EU institutions to establish crèches in Etterbeek and Auderghem have been refused permission.

Article reports that the Council of Ministers was deadlocked in February 2005 in discussions with the commune of Schaerbeek over the creation of a crèche for its Brussels-based staff.

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