Etterbeek and region reach agreement over Schuman redevelopment

The municipality of Etterbeek and the Brussels Region have reached a compromise to avoid an appeal by the former against the redevelopment of Schuman roundabout, in the heart of the capital's European quarter. The agreement is mainly about the associated traffic plan rather than the redevelopment itself.

The plans for the square will see it remain largely free of motorised traffic. It is the proposed changes to the Avenue de la Joyeuse Entrée, which runs along the front of Parc du Cinquantenaire, that will be adapted to allow two-way traffic at the request of Etterbeek.

The new plan for the Avenue de la Joyeuse Entrée will be submitted to a public inquiry via an application for an amending permit. Local residents as well as the municipalities of Etterbeek and the City of Brussels will be able to express their opinions on the changes.

"The fact that the Brussels government promises to submit an amending permit to the Schuman project as soon as possible preserves the legitimate interests of the residents of Etterbeek and Brussels,” said the mayor of Etterbeek, Vincent De Wolf. “It is also a great victory for the municipal council of Etterbeek. The removal of this two-way street on the Avenue de la Joyeuse Entrée would have constituted an impassable urban barrier between the south and north of the city."

Mobility Minister Elke Van Den Brandt stressed that the region did not want to risk wasting additional time in court to put this large-scale project in place. The region will therefore reintroduce an amended plan.