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COMMUNITY ORGANISATION in the European Quarter in Brussels STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLE – from 1986 until today Bulletin annuel d’information de votre comité de quartier, asbl Groupe d’animation du Quartier européen de la Ville de Bruxelles, dit Quartier Nord-Est Animatiegroep van de Europese Wijk van de Stad Brussel, Noord-Oost-Wijk genoemd author Hilde Geens TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction : The European Quarter and its inhabitants 4 Europe as a classic example 5 A leading role for the residents’ committees 6 Dealing with the private sector, even at present 7 Arbitrary, but with a certain sense of logic 8 2. Good to know 9 Europe in Brussels 10 Timeline 20 3. Five strategies 22 3.1. Consultations 24 The Brussels-Europe Area Study (1986-1987) 25 Plans as occupational therapy ? 30 Commissions de Concertation in the European Quarter 32 Comité de Suivi (1996-2001) 35 Conclusions 38 3.2. Studies by the inhabitants 40 The Livre Blanc Noir (1994) 41 Europe : a Living Campus (1995) 43 Conclusion 45 3.3. The cultural approach 47 The context 48 The event : Suite Jourdan Suite (1996-2001) 49 Conclusions 51 3.4. Three occupations 52 Sens Unique (a week in 1997) 53 The Stevin Project (1997-1999) 59 BruXXel (2001) 63 Conclusions 67 3.5. Accord-cadre – a special type of residents’ participation 69 The context 70 The Government of the Brussels-Capital Region contravenes the law 72 The reaction of the inhabitants 73 AQL demands management and long-term vision 75 The contents and legal construction of the accord-cadre 77 Negotiating with investors and the authorities 79 Difficulties in putting plans into practice 80 The most important results from 1988 until 1998 81 The criticism on the accord-cadre 83 Ultimately the accord-cadre also fizzles out 84 4. It is all still very topical 86 Lexicon 94 Epilogue 96 5 1. x. xxxxxxxxINTRODUCTION : THE EUROPEAN QUARTER AND ITS INHABITANTS Europe as a classic example ‘Europe’ is the dossier with the long- much in need of professional support. of those projects and draw detailed ties in the preparation process. That 5 est history that Brusselse Raad voor We have been at the heart of the pro- and rigorous conclusions. Those de- conclusion was another reason to re- het Leefmilieu (BRAL) has ever dealt cess during this time, more so than cisions are very relevant in view of cord our experiences. with. Bral has been keeping a close our French language sister-organi- what is going to happen in the fu- How do we view the actions of watch over the developments regard- sations Inter-Environnement Brux- ture in the Léopold- and North East the inhabitants and their participa- ing the implantation and expansion elles (IEB) and Atelier de Recherche et neighbourhood, the area, which we tion over the past decades ? Could we of the European institutions in Brus- d’Action Urbaines (ARAU). meanwhile have come to refer to as have done things differently ? Which sels since the beginning of the nine- During those thirty years of in- the ‘European Quarter’. opportunities did we miss ? – What , teen eighties. Bral has witnessed the volvement in the Europe dossier, we The main project that profoundly were the failures, the lucky breaks contents transformation of the neighbour- took part in numerous actions and changed the European Quarter over and the successes ? And most of all, hoods. Bral has seen and supported initiatives. These were both large and the past decades is the construction what lessons can we learn from all of the reactions of the various neigh- small scale actions ; they differed in of the EU Parliament with its adjacent this for the future ? p bourhood committees. Bral has tak- style and strategy as well as dura- offices next to the Leopold Station. en its own initiatives and supported tion (from short-term actions to ac- The EU Commission has even grand- those of others. We never received tions lasting for years).The actions er plans to concentrate its buildings any specific or structural subsidy for also varied as to the target audience along the Rue de la Loi as set out in our activities in the European Quar- and the number of participants and the Projet Urbain Loi – PUL (City Pro- ter. The choice to deal with ‘Europe’ they were not all equally successful. ject Loi), the project for increasing has always been our own priority. In combination with varying part- the ‘building density’ of the Europe- From the first proposals for expan- ners, we made use of about all avail- an Commission in the Rue de la Loi. sion at the end of the nineteen sev- able methods of action and pressure : This fact alone justifies a review of enties, it was clear to us that the con- from press dossiers and consulta- the past to see what lessons may be sequences of the European presence tions groups, occupations and squat- learned. Moreover, we note that only would be felt beyond the immediate ting, cultural events, parliamentary sparse information about that new neighbourhood. After all, the dossiers questions up to even the elaboration project is given out. Hardly any ef- were being prepared on the national of alternative studies and plans. In fort is being made to actively involve level, and local groups were therefore this publication, we describe several inhabitants and other interested par- COMMUNITY ORGANISATION IN THE EUROPEAN QUARTER IN BRUSSELS 1. Introduction: the European Quarter and its inhabitants A leading role for the residents’ committees Bulletin annuel d’information At the beginning of the nineteen nine- into account. It is essential to have de votre comité de quartier, asbl 6 ties, Bral motivated several groups security of tenancy, the quality of the Groupe d’animation du Quartier européen de la Ville de Bruxelles, dit Quartier Nord-Est 7 Animatiegroep van de Europese Wijk van de Stad Brussel, Noord-Oost-Wijk genoemd of inhabitants from the neighbour- environment needs to remain high hood to join forces in the Coordination and local facilities and local shops are Europe. In its heyday, more than a necessary. Therefore, their efforts are dozen committees were members of not in fact intended to thwart specific the partnership, well beyond the bor- projects or plans. Their only purpose ders of the neighbourhood. Over the has always been to strive for a lively , course of time, some of them left as future-oriented and mixed neigh- contents active partners and the working area bourhood. The committees persist in of Coordination Europe became re- demanding that the authorities take stricted to the immediate neighbour- initiatives to get better control of the hood, where the Groupe d’Animation accelerated development in their du Quartier Européen de la ville de neighbourhood and that they involve Bruxelles (GAQ) and the Association them in this as equal partners. du Quartier Léopold (AQL) are at pre- Sometimes the local commitment sent the most important advocates. was very strong, sometimes a lot less In their turn, these groups motivated – and this was clearly related to the Bral and its sister-organisation IEB to lack of any positive results. Often, the ensure continuity and their profes- final outcome of the actions was after sional support. The committees from the Europe- u Right from the beginning of the nineteen an Quarter always dedicated their ef- nineties the various neighbourhood commit- forts towards more involvement in the tees of the EU Quarter have been united in planning process. They continue to do Coordination Europe. One of the committees, so until the present. They want their which has remained active in Coordination needs and requirements to be taken Europe until the present is the GAQ. © GAQ COMMUNITY ORGANISATION IN THE EUROPEAN QUARTER IN BRUSSELS 1. Introduction: the European Quarter and its inhabitants Dealing with the private sector, even at present all not in proportion to the time and From the nineteen fifties, the role of That history continues to repeat t The private sector is all in favour of the 7 the energy that had been invested in the private sector has been a determin- itself is also evident from the pre- demand by the EU Commission for more of- them. This has a disincentive effect. ing factor in the European Quarter and history of the Projet Urbain Loi (City fices along the Rue de la Loi. The Brussels’ Henri Bernard, who for decades was this remains the case today. Therefore, Project Loi). The similarities with the government tries to manage the increasing the driving force and the strategist of the participation and actions of the plans from the mid-nineteen eighties office space by means of the Projet Urbain Loi the AQL, proved that personal dedi- inhabitants have never been directed do not come out of thin air. [ see 3.1.]. p (PUL). © ADT-ATO cation plays an important role in the against the authorities alone. decisiveness of groups of volunteers. Experiences with various master , His sudden death in October 2008 plans have shown that the coopera- contents was a major blow. Meanwhile, others tion between the authorities and the have taken over the torch, but it re- private sector is not a sinecure. Both mains a difficult battle. in the case of the Schéma directeur In addition to the classical resi- (master plan) Tour et Taxis as well as dents’ committees, we also see other the Schéma directeur Botanique (Cité people asking questions about the Administrative de l’État) it is self-evi- present development of the Europe- dent that the implementation of a an Quarter. An increasing number of master plan depends on the goodwill expats as well as young people have of the private partners.

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