Brussels, 24/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - Presenting the report by ten intellectuals on the future of "Brussels, Capital of Europe", Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt announced a European architecture competition for the premises of the European Councils in Brussels. We recall that there is still disagreement over the precise locality of the future European summits, which, according to decisions taken at the European Council in Laeken, must be held in Brussels once out of the two summits per Council Presidency, as of 2002 (Denmark will be the first Presidency to inaugurate the new rule, with the extraordinary summit of 24 and 25 October), and without exception as soon as there are 18 members in Europe.
The President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, who had called for such a report with Guy Verhofstadt during the European Council of Laeken, noted that Brussels does not have a symbol showing that it is a European capital. It is very difficult to express the characteristics of such a capital and the "diversity" of the Union, he admitted. He stressed, however, that his vision is for "Brussels to become a place to which European citizens can relate". Mr Prodi also admitted that the European area of Brussels must become "more liveable", and said in this context that the Commission, that will continue to work in the current buildings, "must be part of the solution". Regarding the report presented on Monday, he mainly welcomed the idea of creating a centre of excellency in Brussels.
We recall that the persons solicited by the Belgian Presidency at the time and by the European Commission include the historian (and former Polish Foreign Minister), Bronislaw Geremek, Italian author Umberto Eco, Director of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao Juan Ignacio Vidarte, the former director of the "Théâtre de la Monnaie" in Brussels and the Salzburg Festival, Gérard Mortier, the former Mayor of Barcelona, Pasqual Maragall, the Swatch watch inventor, Nicolas Hayek, and Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas.