The intervention has been ordered by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, and independent body in charge of investigating crimes that attack the EU financial interests and to exercise criminal action against its authors.
“The European Public Prosecutor’s Office can confirm that it is carrying out evidence collection activities within the framework of an ongoing investigation,” a spokesperson for the institution explained to EL ESPAÑOL.
“We cannot offer more information at this stage, so as not to jeopardize the ongoing procedures or their outcome,” he added.
For its part, the Commission has assured that it will fully collaborate with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, but has defended that the sale took place “in accordance with applicable regulations“.
“We are aware of an ongoing investigation carried out by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in relation to the sale of 23 buildings from the Commission to the Belgian State in 2024“, a spokesperson for the Community Executive told this newspaper.
“The European Commission is committed to transparency and accountability and will fully cooperate with the EPPO and the competent Belgian authorities in this matter, providing all necessary information and assistance to ensure a thorough and independent investigation,” he added.
“As far as the European Commission is concerned, the sale of the buildings followed established procedures and protocolsand we trust that the process was carried out in accordance with the applicable regulations,” says the spokesperson.
The agreement for the sale of the 23 buildings It was announced on April 29, 2024. The acquisition was carried out by the Federal Society of Participations and Investments (SFPIM), the Belgian sovereign fundwith the stated goal of revitalizing the European quarter of Brussels.
For its part, the community Executive argued that the sale was an important step in its objective of reduce its office space by 25% by 2030to modernize and make its properties more sustainable and achieve economies of scale by concentrating staff in fewer buildings.
Following the Commission’s decision to sell 23 of its buildings from 2023, a public tender in two phasesin accordance with the financial regulations. The SFPIM was awarded of the contract, as explained by Brussels.
The person responsible for the operation was the then Commissioner for Budgets and Administration, the Austrian Johannes Hahn. “The sale will help us achieve our goals of reduce the number of buildings by 50% and the surface by 25%. It should also contribute to the transformation of the European quarter, giving new life to the buildings we sell,” said Hahn.