Businesses in Brussels’ European quarter have resorted to promotional gimmicks to fill the hole left by the European Commission, which is downgrading its presence there.
With the EU executive increasingly resorting to tele-working and moving some staff to the city’s north side, businesses that have traditionally relied on EU civil servants are feeling the pain.
With more offices set to move later this year, the talk on the street is that trade has dropped to levels lower than those seen during the pandemic.
“This is bad for us, for the whole neighbourhood. If there are problems, the quarter will empty out,” said Nicole de Jacquière, president of the Association des commerçants du carrefour Jean Monnet, an association of local businesses . “There is a loss in revenue,” she told the Brussels Signal.
“We have more problems than we did during the pandemic when restaurants stayed open. Now that there are fewer people working [in the Commission], it’s more difficult,” she added. “It will have a big impact on the local economy.”
Last year, the Commission announced it would move a portion of its offices to the Brussels North quarter in 2023. Some staff are not happy as the northern quarter has a reputation for drug abuse and violence – a far cry from the concentrated wealth found around the Schuman roundabout, the Commission’s traditional headquarters.
“There will be a negative effect if the Commission withdraws from the area,” said the owner of the Kitty O’Shea’s pub, situated just across from the Commission headquarters. “It will affect everybody.”
Increased teleworking is the main reason why Eurocrats are disappearing from the streets.
To counterbalance this trend, the trade association has launched a “red balloon” initiative to attract people into the European quarter, to promote its image and protect the interests of its merchants.
Participating businesses will be decorating their shops with red balloons every second Tuesday, starting June 13.
Each establishment will have a “little surprise” for its patrons, ranging from discounts to special treats.
“We hope that it will attract more customers,” explained Ms de Jacquière.
