Brussels, 31/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission had just approved a policy document relating to the consolidation and rationalisation of its presence in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg thus allowing for the opening of consultations over the issue both with the Luxembourg authorities as with the personnel representatives.
The document adopted this Wednesday recognises the benefit available to Luxembourg as a seat for European institutions: high quality infrastructure, notably in terms of transport, and a good multicultural and schooling environment. Though especially, it underlines that if some Commissioner services are sufficiently big and coherent to function in an effective manner within the Grand Duchy, other smaller units experience operational difficulties due to the distance that separates them from their Directorates General located in Brussels. This situation has a negative effect on recruitment, mobility and the professional development of personnel. Thus the document proposes to study the creation in Luxembourg of large, coherent and stable departments, and to repatriate units to Brussels. It also places emphasis on the benefits available to Luxembourg in logistical and organisational terms to host a new European agency for which no location has yet been decided, that is to say the European Food Authority, the Agency for Air safety or even the Agency for Maritime Safety.