Total service: from the cradle to the archive

The OIB is charged with predicting and providing the Commission's infrastructure needs, writes Ian Mundell.

You might expect the man in charge of the Commission's real estate in Brussels to pick a plum spot for his own office, but that is not the case. G‡bor Zupk—'s office looks out on the busy rue de la Loi and is on a floor low enough to get the full benefit of the passing traffic.

"This is one of the oldest buildings and one of the noisier offices. I have the first traffic light here," he says pointing into the murk, "but it is not a challenge when I'm working."

Zupk— is director of the Office for Infrastructure and Logistics in Brussels (OIB), which looks after all of the Commission's property, fixed and moveable. It deals with the purchase and rental of buildings, it buys the furniture and office supplies, organises the internal post and other official transport. It also provides the Commission's 'social infrastructure', from restaurants and cafeterias to shops and sports centres, and certain social services, such as crches and child-minding services. And it runs the Commission's archive in Brussels.

Although his appointment as director was confirmed only last week, Zupk— has filled the post on an 'acting' basis since December 2006. Before that he was principal advisor to the previous director. He was effectively head-hunted to fill the role, and a look at his curriculum vitae explains why.

The 43-year-old Hungarian was trained as a civil engineer and began his working life in the construction industry. Between 1990 and 1998 he was deputy mayor and then mayor of Kispest, the 19th district of Budapest. After that he worked for the ministry of foreign affairs. In 2003-05, he was Hungary's ambassador to Finland.

"Civil engineering is quite helpful in our daily operations, in understanding the problems and the operations of the buildings," he says. "Experience from local government - it provides public services, and we provide quite similar services - that also helps, and also in urban planning. And my work at the ministry for foreign affairs, where I was responsible for administration, was quite similar."

So how does running the Commission buildings and services compare to being mayor of a district in Budapest? "When you are responsible for a whole district you have a wider responsibility for all the citizens, you provide a wider portfolio of services. However, in the Commission the services are deeper. We are responsible also for the tables and so on, not just the public areas or the general public services. So it's a little bit narrower, but deeper."

In the future it will also be longer term, thanks to a new buildings policy agreed last September by the Commission, which OIB will now begin to implement. The aim is to provide better forecasts of the Commission's building requirements, to move towards a more efficient stock of buildings that provide a more comfortable working environment.

"It's clear that we cannot give up buildings where we have the leases for another ten years, but we can at least start to work on a longer term plan, even up to 20 years," he says. "In real estate you should have such long-term planning."

There will be changes within the European quarter, where the Brussels Capital regional government is planning a new competition in urban planning. While this may allow improvements, it will not provide much extra space for the Commission.

"The European quarter has limited capacity and the region is thinking about having more variety, with some commerce and housing," he says. "They don't envisage much further development of office space, which is understandable if they want to see a more lively environment."

This means that the Commission will have to think about developments elsewhere in Brussels. Development of a further 'pole' is envisaged, but it is too early to say what the consequences will be for its existing other outposts around Beaulieu and rue de Genve/Da Vinci.

More immediately Zupk— is working on childcare, with plans well-advanced for a new 200-place crche. "We have a waiting list of up to 400 for the crche, so we should add at least another project to have a comfortable situation," he says.

OIB has a staff of 1,000 people, from chauffeurs and nursery staff to experts in building management. While it provides some services itself, much of the work is outsourced, so a good deal of effort goes into contract management.

• Where to start: At present about half of OIB staff are permanent officials and half are contract agents. The plan is to alter the balance to one-third permanent and two-thirds contract agents. Recruitment to the OIB follows standard Commission practice and is administered by the European Personnel Selection Office. http://europa.eu/epso

• Ian Mundell is a freelance journalist based in Brussels.

The OIB is charged with predicting and providing the Commission's infrastructure needs, writes Ian Mundell.