European External Action Service - Location

Location

The EEAS is based in the Triangle building (also known as the Capital, or Axa building) on Schuman roundabout in the heart of Brussels' EU Quarter. The building is leased at £12 million-a-year. Prior to moving in, future EEAS staff were located in eight separate buildings at a cost of €25 million each year. The EEAS lease most of the building, with Commission departments filling the remaining space. The European Personnel Selection Office (Epso) was already occupying part of the building since July 2010.

It was originally expected that the EEAS would take over the Commission's Charlemagne building on the Rue de la Loi which housed the now defunct Directorate-General for External Relations (RELEX). However that building was thought to be too small, would be too closely associated with RELEX (going against the image of the EEAS as a unique independent institution) and would take too long to overhaul. It was also proposed that the EEAS take over the Lex building. Due to cost and security considerations, Ashton had preferred to take over the Lex building which could be rented from the Council at a lower rate and already has a higher security rating with underground tunnels to the main Commission and Council buildings. However in order to take over the building, the council staff would have to be willing to leave and the Council's budget increased so they could find new accommodation. Due to the staff in Lex unwilling to move, the triangle building was chosen by Ashton in October 2010.