European Commission sells half of its offices as staff continue to work from home

Flags above the Berlaymont building, headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium Photo: DURSUN AYDEMIR/GETTY IMAGES

The European Commission sells half of its office buildings in Brussels as employees continue to work from home for most of the week following the pandemic.

Official guidance states that “up to 20 per cent of remote working is entitlement, between 20 and 60 per cent of remote working can be agreed upon with the immediate supervisor.”

Employees who want to work from home even more. “may be permitted when necessary in the interests of the service.”

These rules were put in place in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, with Johannes Hahn, the European Budget Commissioner, describing Commission officials working remotely for most of the week as being considered the “new normal” at the time.

< p>Speaking on Tuesday, he said the sale to the Belgian sovereign wealth fund would reduce the size of the Commission's office.

“The sale will help us achieve our goals of reducing the number of buildings by 50 percent and the space by 25 percent,” he said he.

The sale will only reduce the total office space from 780,000 square meters. meters to 580,000 square meters as the Brussels-based EU executive retains larger office buildings.

EUR 900 million (£769 million) is expected to be raised.

The commission employs approximately 32,000 people, according to its website.

Help achieve net zero goals

Other generous rules granted to Commission officials allow them to work from abroad for at least 10 days a year, essentially allowing them to extend their leave. While highly paid Eurocrats also get extra breaks on top of their basic 54 days holiday.

Officials earning more than €10,000 (£8,500) a month are not allowed to claim overtime unless they work more than 37.5 hours per week, so extra days off are available.

The sales will also help the Commission achieve its own net-zero targets by occupying fewer, more energy-efficient buildings.

The Belgian government will use the sale to make Brussels' barren European quarter more attractive to visitors. by abandoning glass and steel office buildings.

They promised to “relax public spaces with more vegetation and more space for active movement” to enhance their cultural appeal.

Recently done joint statement. A publication from the Commission and the Belgian government said plans had been drawn up to create an area where “office buildings coexist harmoniously with residential, retail and leisure facilities.”

This comes as the EU launches its first bloc-wide project. consultation on rules for remote working in EU member states.

The proportion of people working from home has almost doubled in recent years to 20 percent from 11.1 percent in 2019, according to the EU Labor Force Survey.

Although consultations are at an early stage, they could ultimately lead to the introduction of EU work based on internal rules and a “right to switch off”.