29/01/25 (Agence Europe) – The European Parliament Committee on Budgets voted on Wednesday 29 January to approve the design and build contract for a new headquarters for the Frontex agency in Warsaw. The construction project was first approved by the Member States on Friday 24 January. Under an agreement with the Polish government, Poland is providing a plot of land in Warsaw free of charge and the EU is financing the construction of the new headquarters, which is deemed necessary as part of plans to increase the agency’s staff. Twenty-three MEPs voted in favour, 5 against and 10 abstained. The S&D abstained. “The cost of this construction is estimated by Frontex at around €250 million, but experience has shown that the figures in the initial estimates very often increase exponentially”, said Latvian Nils Ušakovs. According to the S&D group, debt financing could place the EU in a situation of legal uncertainty. (FS)