News • December 21 2003

To buy or not to buy an embassy... in Schumann Square

Kurt Sansone
Foreign Minister Joe Borg has not denied that government’s embassy-hunting exercise in Brussels to find a suitable premises to accommodate Malta’s embassy to the European Union is focussing on the lucrative Schumann Square, where most of the EU Commission buildings are located.
Asked by MaltaToday whether the sale agreement for the new Brussels embassy in Schumann Square has been concluded the foreign minister replied: "Government is still considering a number of options in procuring adequate premises to accommodate the Permanent Representation of Malta to the European Union in Brussels."
Dr Borg also said it was still government’s intention to have both the EU Permanent Representation and Malta’s embassy to Belgium housed in the same building.
Brussels-based Maltese employees told MaltaToday that Schumann Square is centrally located and could possibly be an adequate area where to house Malta’s EU representative office. However, they also pointed out that since 2000 the rental and sale prices for buildings in the area have risen by 15 per cent every year in anticipation of enlargement.
Suffice to say that 120 square metres of rented office space in the area close to the European Parliament, around 15 minutes on foot away from Schumann Square, costs around EUR 2,700 per month (around Lm1,150).
kurt@newsworksltd.com