THE STAFF OF EU INSTITUTION BRANDED AS DRUG ADDICT!

During a meeting chaired by the Director of the Commission’s OIB (Office Infrastructure Brussels) on the subject of the relocation of the Executive Agencies to the Northern Quarter, Pascal Smet, Secretary of State for the Brussels-Capital Region, responsible for Urban Planning, made some absolutely outrageous remarks about the European civil service.

Pascal Smet stated that the fears expressed about security and crime in the northern district were inadmissible because “I think a lot of people working for the European Institutions take drugs” (sic!) without forgetting to specify that “in Schuman they are dealing drugs too. And probably not the same drugs they are dealing there, but probably a little bit whiter” (sic!).

The Director of the OIB chairing the meeting carried on as if nothing had happened without asking Pascal Smet to immediately withdraw such outrageous remarks and apologise on the spot. 

When contacted by Politico, Pascal Smet did not deny having made such absolutely intolerable remarks (Eurocrats are on drugs! Brussels city planning boss slams EU over reluctance to move offices – POLITICO), comments which are now widely reported in the press.

All the Commission’s trade unions denounced these statements in their letter to Commissioner Hahn (see attachment).

Like our colleagues from the Commission, the Council and the Parliament, we are calling the CoR and EESC Presidents to defend the honour and reputation of the European institutions’ staff by asking Pascal Smet to withdraw his absolutely unacceptable words and to apologize without delay!