- “Thank you. Honourable chair, honourable members, thank you for for the opportunity to update the committee on the on the buildings policy. I would also like to to thank the members for the questions received in advance and to which the Commission has has replied. Also in advance of this of this presentation, I'll start with an update on the buildings policy aspects concerning Brussels. Other colleagues will will then take over. I'm pleased to inform overall the members that the Commission is on track to achieve the objectives set out in its real estate strategy. One of the principles guiding the Commission real estate strategy is to achieve budgetary savings, while also considering the implementation of the European Green Deal, and specifically in relation to the objectives set out in the Greening the Commission. Mission communication. This means using each square meter more intelligently, making the real estate greener in terms of target. The goal by 2030 is to improve and renew the portfolio of real estate, reducing by 50% the number of buildings by 2030, and reduce the overall surface by 25%. The reduction in office space continues thanks to the deployment of what we in turn in the Commission refer to as dynamic collaborative space, and also by the use of teleworking. 10,500 colleagues from the commission have been migrated to dynamic collaborative space, essentially meaning that they are giving up individual offices to board closer together in collective space. This is a development that has taken place since 2021, so that means over the past four and a half, four and a half Years.”
Energy efficiency · Regulation of teleworking labour conditions · Energy performance of buildings
- “Also, negotiations are ongoing for two other buildings, with a view to propose to the budgetary authority before the end of 2024. So we are discussing a good number of buildings, three in total, allowing the commission to vacate other old buildings over time. Real estate prospecting continues. Also, with the objective of taking up approximately 100,000m² over the years, 2728, 29. Occupying the new buildings is not only the way to modernize the real estate portfolio, we are also looking at renovation and renovation strategies, uh, where renovation would be by the owner of buildings currently occupied by the commission and this is currently being considered. The Commission also is working towards the delivery of the new European Bauhaus initiatives as part of its own real estate strategy. Among these initiatives, the activation of ground floors. So this is part of the new vision for the European quarter. And this began in 2023. The initiative aims to enhance staff wellbeing and also foster a co-creative approach by transforming the ground floors into more vibrant, accessible spaces that promote also community engagement. These new projects projects incorporate the principles of European New European Bauhaus, supporting also the Brussels Regions initiative to create transparent, active ground floors in the European Quarter. The projects contribute to the objective of increasing the quality of the working experience and the wellbeing of staff in commissioned buildings, but also taking account the new working modes where not everybody is in the office every day. Through the implementation of this real estate policy.”
Energy performance of buildings · EU policy on sustainability criteria in public funding · EU policy on urban development
- “We do continue to contribute from the side of the Commission to the transformation of the European quarter regarding non office spaces. The works of the new conference centre started end of September 2024, with the contractual completion date of January 2028. Finally, with respect to budget forecasts, the utilization of the sales revenue from the sole buildings, which will allow firstly to cover the payment of residual debts associated with the buildings sold. Secondly, to acquire the new conference center and thirdly to finance the occupation of new buildings. This way, the distribution of revenue allocation during the period 26 to 2022 allows for stable budgetary development. Let me finish, Honourable Chair, by coming back to the questions which the Commission received from the Parliament regarding on various issues. As examples From those questions, we received some pertinent questions concerning the trade. Since the ratio of owned versus leased buildings, the related costs to this the savings achieved, the monitoring of the savings, biodiversity projects, the conference centers and synergies and also transition from the old buildings to the new buildings and new European poorhouse. So all examples of questions that the Parliament took up, we have provided the answers in writing ahead of today, but I would like to comment here that the number and the variety of questions demonstrate the interest for our work, for which I would like to thank the Parliament. I will close at this stage, uh, in order to leave time for my colleagues and for discussion. Thank you.”
Transparency requirements of EU institutions · Size of EU budget · Discharge of EU institutions and agencies
- “Thank you very much. Honorable chair, thank you to the members for the pertinent questions. I will first address the one from, um, Mr.. Um, who was it here from Seattle on the owned versus leased parts. So on this part, it is, uh, roughly 40% to 33% owned. I think, as I understood, uh, the question, it was really also when or what would the commission do in the longer term perspective? Because the buildings policy strategy, if you will, has been set out in the, uh, A document for the budgetary procedure. It is quite clear until 2032 from that perspective, including the financial calculations. So are we embarking on a strategy beyond. It's difficult to, um, say anything with precision in terms of when and how we would embark on a strategy. But I can tell the honourable member that we are looking at this very closely internally in the Commission. There is, uh, interest well beyond also the office of the Infrastructure and Buildings for for Brussels. We are discussing with our colleagues in the budget, in the secretary general overall for what would be the right way forward, including for some of the buildings that the Commission owns, which at a given stage also would need to be considered for possible renovations. So in that part that also goes into the strategy for the strategy versus owning versus, um, leasing. Otherwise, the key point is that not all buildings are offered by the property developer for sale. So that also plays an important aspect. And then obviously the market conditions at any moment, including good opportunities, plays a particularly important aspect. We will develop further on those points when we discuss also beyond OSB in a commission internal setting, and our idea would be indeed that we would be able to put some pointers on a future long term strategy at the right moment and with the support of the college.”
Energy efficiency · Energy performance of buildings · Size of EU budget
- “On the sort of, if you will, the living experience in dynamic collaborative space. And I also refer to other colleagues in Luxembourg who may want to supplement on this. I think it's fair to say that all the questions, including the ones from MEP Ohlmeyer, around the sort of living experience, it depends on who you would want to ask of individual commission officials. Overall, we are exactly asking those questions. We are having annual surveys, uh, for commission officials where we are looking at specifically how they, um, find their working conditions. And this point comes up time and time again. I think it's fair to say that a good number of colleagues actually do enjoy the new working conditions, because it's easier to work together, and when they need to do independent work, they are not necessarily forced to come to the office. And overall, that also has a savings perspective to it. Um, for what uh, finally regards the renovation, um, strategy. I noted it briefly before, but we really need to look at the lifecycle of the buildings, carefully observing that, looking at the energy performance, and also see how the market develops, um, for us versus, um, owning versus renovating. Um, the last point I wanted to point out, uh, was the, um, the member parliament who noted in terms of increase of costs that, um, the market price for good buildings with high energy performance is something that we are watching particularly, uh, closely checking my notes to make sure that we got through most of these questions. I will stop there and see whether colleagues want to come in with additional points.”
Energy efficiency · Regulation of teleworking labour conditions · Energy performance of buildings
- “Thank you, honorable Chair. Thank you. Members of the of the Committee. It's an honour to be here for the first time. And indeed, thank you very much to MEP So still for for the welcome. I very much hope to continue in the same spirit as the Committee had in relations with my predecessor, Mr. Mbeki. And I'm looking very much forward to working with with all members of the committee. You, um, MEPs has already presented very well the different parts of what is in the file. Uh, I only then will turn to the questions, the part on whether there can be parking in or the buildings, because indeed we are reducing the number of parking spaces. Uh, this is in planning. It's not only for this building that on occasion, with the restrictions overall on parking spaces linked to the local legislation, that we are needing to make sure that colleagues will take up other use of, uh, means for mobility. Uh, so the issues that we are looking at is further use of different types of mobility, including bikes and other parts. And we have systems in place whereby individual car places will be allocated across the different parking garages, not only for this building, but across other buildings that are close by.”
Road transport environmental policy · Energy performance of buildings · EV charging infrastructure
- “On the question of whether we have overall less space linked to dynamic collaborative space, this is the case. We are in clear need of trying to reduce overall the square metres. There's also a financial side to this. We are watching this also with good colleagues from across the commission, with a lot of interest in view of overall savings over time for the issue of the overall buildings policy. I would say that this is something that we are looking at consistently in the commission. We have a buildings policy in place. We are looking also at how we can continue to reduce the space for the square metres that we are occupying, and this is something that we will continue to keep under very close watch. I will stop it here. Unless there was any other question that I didn't respond to. The president? Yeah. So on the presidential part, there are precedents on this on this side, including also in the political will of the of the Brussels region for for this part. So we will be in close cooperation for this aspect as well.”
Energy efficiency · Energy performance of buildings · Size of EU budget
- “For the second part that I wanted to comment on is the issue of the best. So the so the energy savings efficiency program, which the Commission has engaged on. It is a question, I think, as I understand it, which is could we actually develop that further? Um, the current policy is to close the buildings in certain periods over Christmas time and over the summer, and we are doing in the EMA's steering committee. Uh, actually, next week, uh, an evaluation of what may we do to make the best initiative for closure of buildings, occasionally a more permanent initiative. So this is being actively considered. Um, on the parking spaces, we have parking spaces in larger buildings. We are following Brussels regulations. I think it's fair to say that on most days, colleagues can find parking slots, but not necessarily in the building where they would be working that day. We have an internal, um, application for finding parking slots around other buildings and also the ways of people. Commuting is changing over time, and we're also making sure that there's particularly ample place for bicycles. The question on the conference center, um, the dates I noted also in my small intervention prior was that we are on track for delivery by the contractual end date, which is January 2028. And that's the only thing at this moment I can say on on this project, on this project.”
Energy efficiency · Regulation of teleworking labour conditions · Energy performance of buildings
- “Thank you, honourable chair. Honourable members. I'm here today for the pre-information linked to the Spa two building. The usufruct contract soon comes to an end. We are discussing a full renovation with the owner. We would need here a ten month extension of the current usufruct to allow continuity for one specific dg in the in the building, and to then allow for the studies linked to the renovation and obtention of the permits prior to the beginning of the works. For this part, that's the first part of it. The second part would then be that we would stop the use of. We would have a break through it for the period of work in the building for 14 months. So acting for with respect for, for public money, We would then say that that's the renovation period, when we would then not pay the user foot in the building, as long as the works would be carried out by the owner. And then there's the second part of the project, which would be a 15 year new contract following the end of the works in the building. The project here is presented as two separate building files, one for the current extension and then one for the new 15 year user vote. And that would both be presented within the same sitting during the fourth quarter of 2025. I note that this at this moment is only a pre information. This concerns then the first point, the ten month extension of the current usufruct. And that would then allow us to go ahead with the works. And having still the DGs in question, sitting in the building in question. This solution guarantees the service continuity. It is without interruption and is without additional temporary relocation costs, and is at the same price as the current contract has. With that, I will stop it there with respect for the time that you are running here. Thank you.”
Transparency requirements of EU institutions · Size of EU budget · Discharge of EU institutions and agencies
- “The transition is getting more smooth thanks to the lessons learned from the first moves of Commission Services or the Commission Services now following. The first movers are getting more used to the process and to being accommodated in the new space. Office space currently occupies 714,000m², as opposed to 780,000m² in 2021. The objective remains, as set out in our strategy, to reach approximately 580,000m² by 2030. The greening of the buildings portfolio continues through the abandonment of older buildings and the occupancy of newer buildings, which are also more environmentally friendly and more energy efficient. Technical improvements and also the encouragement of greener behaviours contribute to to the objective. The sale of 23 buildings in 2024 has accelerated the renewal will process. One aspect of the strategy is, is therefore to occupy modern and more energy efficient buildings. And this strategy is ongoing. After the signing of contracts for two specific buildings, Monterrey 34 and 2211, to be specific in 2024. We did, with the Parliament support, also sign a contract for a new building named the Lume Building or on Lua 52. This we signed on the 6th of June 25, so earlier this month. Other buildings are currently being negotiated with a view to signing before the end of 2025. In line with pre information sent in June 2024 and also recent in October 24th, we have one building project that has been launched in inter-service consultation in turn in the Commission services, and that we will intend to propose before the end of the year for approval to the budgetary authority.”
Energy efficiency · Energy performance of buildings