Police searched the offices of the European Commission in Brussels on the morning of Thursday 12 February.
As reported by Agence France Presse and the Financial Times, the police investigations were carried out as part of an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) - which in a press release referred to a “collection of evidence” - into possible irregularities in the sale of property assets to the Belgian State.
The Commission, which has confirmed that it is being investigated over the sale of 23 of its buildings to the Belgian state in 2024, said it was confident that “the process has been carried out in accordance with the rules” and that it would “cooperate fully with EPPO”, according to a spokesman who spoke to AFP.
In 2024, the Commission announced the sale of around 25% of its office space by 2030.
As AFP recalls, an agreement had been reached to sell 23 buildings to the Belgian State. At the time, the sale was valued at €900 million.
On 29 April 2024, the Commission and the Belgian State jointly announced “the finalisation of an agreement”. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)