European Commission to take over Copernicus office building

The European Commission has signed an agreement to take over part of the Copernicus building on Rue de la Loi. The Commission will move into the 13,500 square-metres of office space in the brand new office and apartment building.

The Commission signed a 20-year agreement with the building’s developer, Alides. The agreement is an usufruct, meaning that the EU does not own the building but can make use of it for the period of the contract. It must maintain the building and pay the property taxes.

It is the same sort of agreement that the EU signed last year for the office building known as The One, also on Rue de la Loi. According to Alides, European institutions are looking for up to 100,000 square-metres more office space by 2025.

The European quarter has a very low vacancy rate of less than 3%, which is why Copernicus and The One were crucial development projects for the EU and the Brussels Capital-Region. The buildings are part of the region’s development plan for the entire European quarter.

Copernicus should be completed in June, and Commission staff is expected to move in by September. The building also includes 12 spacious flats. “Copernicus breaks with the monofunctionality of the Rue de la Loi,” says Alides CEO Rikkert Leeman. “It is the first project that ensures that, in addition to the many office spaces, there will be more people living in the district.”

Photos courtesy Alides