Priestley: ‘Another year-and-a-half for assembly extension’

By Martin Banks

Date: 20/055/04

THE secretary-general of the European Parliament has admitted that work on the assembly's extension will not be completed for at least another 18 months.

Julian Priestley admits that building work is behind schedule and that the offices will not be ready until the end of 2005, "at the earliest".

Work started on two new buildings overlooking Brussels' Place du Luxembourg two years ago, but one of the buildings, which will house a Museum of Europe and 50 offices, is now due to open at the end of next year. The other one, with 400 offices, five meeting rooms and an audio-visual centre, may not be ready until the end of 2006.

Most of the office space is earmarked for the 162 MEPs from new member states. They are currently accommodated in offices vacated after hundreds of the Parliament's staff were relocated to various leased buildings across Brussels.

But space is so scarce the Parliament is considering leasing another building in Brussels' Place Rogier.

Some of the new member states' deputies have, however, complained they still have to share offices. One disgruntled Polish member reacted angrily to news that the new offices will not be ready for up to two years, saying: "It's a complete joke. The Parliament has had plenty of time to prepare for enlargement yet here we are facing months and months of being forced to work in cramped conditions.

"Not only do we have to accept being paid substantially less than current MEPs but also inferior work conditions," he added.

The Secretary General of the European Parliament, Julian Priestley, discusses the progress on a building extension to the European Parliament in Brussels to accommodate the extended number of members and officials.