Brussels, 03/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - Part of the European Parliament in Brussels has been closed to the public after the discovery of cracks in three of the 21 wooden beams above the Parliament's plenary chamber, a press release announced on Monday 3 September. The cracks were discovered during routine checks. Parliamentary activities will not be affected. “With the agreement of the president and the vice-president responsible for buildings, the Parliament's secretary general has taken the precautionary measure of temporarily closing Section A of the Paul-Henri Spaak Building”, the press release reads. This decision goes beyond a partial closure as recommended by experts “in the interest of the staff working in that part of the building”. Other checks are being carried out to ascertain the source of the problem. (LC/transl.jl)