More than 100 squatters occupy former EU building

At least 100 squatters have moved into a former European Commission office building on Rue de Genève in Evere, according to the local Brussels-North police zone.

The building formerly housed the European Commission’s translation services and is owned by a foreign investor who leased it to the European Commission until last year.

Translators were based there for almost 20 years but have since moved to other offices in central Brussels, leaving the building vacant.

A first group of squatters moved in at the beginning of this month, which local residents noted in a Facebook group, claiming the squatters tampered with the electricity supply to the building and the underground car park.

One squatter told Bruzz that he and the other residents have now taken over three floors of the building.

Evere mayor Alessandro Zappala (PS) said that the squatters all come from Moldova.

“I saw cars with Polish and Hungarian number plates,” one local resident told La Capitale.

“People were unloading mattresses and bags and going inside the building. Then they brought furniture, televisions and curtains. The canteen on the first floor is lit up.”

Another resident said that, given the size of the building, “this could well be the largest Roma squat in Brussels”.

The local Brussels-North police zone first said that 250 to 300 people were present in the building, but Zappala said that this figure was exaggerated.

“There are 100 to 150 people present, most of whom are families with women, teenagers and young children,” he said.

“Apparently, they were already staying in various squats in Brussels and have gathered here.”

No nuisance has yet been reported in the neighbourhood, but Zappala emphasised that the municipality is investigating all concerns and complaints from local residents, most of which have mainly been shared online.

The police zone has initiated a procedure between the municipality and the owner of the building to discuss eviction.