A two-day European Council summit will be taking place in the Belgian capital later this week, which will result in parts of the European Quarter being shut off by police.
EU leaders will convene on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 June for the summit, which will take place at the buildings of the Council of the European Union on Rue de la Loi. The City of Brussels has advised residents of various measures that will be taken for the event.
"The police will set up a security perimeter during those days. Only people with authorisation will be allowed to enter the perimeter on foot," a statement from the authorities read.
Road closures and parking bans
From Thursday 11:00 in the morning on Thursday and throughout the day on Friday, Schuman Square will not be accessible to the general public, while Rue Froissart (between numbers 101 and 143) and Rue de la Loi (between Place Schuman and Residence Palace at Rue de la Loi 155) will be shut off.
Residents must get accreditation from the police services to access the zone, while local employees have to request such a pass through their employers. People living within this security perimeter cannot receive deliveries, and no rubbish bags or bicycles can be placed on public roads here. "For safety reasons, all building windows must be closed."
Some streets will only be accessible to local traffic, including Rue Archimède between Rue Stévin and Schuman; Avenue de Cortenbergh, between Rue Stévin and Schuman; Rue de la Loi, between Avenue de la Joyeuse Entrée and Schuman; Avenue d’Auderghem, between rue de la Loi and Schuman and Rue Breydel.
Tweet translation: "European summit in Brussels on June 29 and 30. The Schuman neighbourhood perimeter will be closed from 11 am and the Reyer Tunnel towards the city centre will be closed at 10 am."
The police added that during the summit but possibly for a longer period of time, traffic and parking will also be strictly forbidden on the routes taken by delegations, as well as on Chaussée d’Etterbeek, between Rue Belliard and Rue Van Maerlant, on Rue Van Maerlant and on Rue Belliard, between Chaussée d’Etterbeek and Avenue d’Auderghem.
Meanwhile, the Reyer Tunnel towards the city centre will be closed from 10:00 on Thursday morning.
STIB confirmed to The Brussels Times that all metro lines will run normally, but that some of the entrances to Schuman station will be closed as these are located in the security perimeter. STIB and De Lijn bus routes running within the security perimeter will be diverted.
Focus remains on Russia
As was the case during previous summits, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine will once again be high on the EU political agenda, as well as continued EU support to Ukraine.
The economic situation in the EU, its security and defence capacity ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius on 11 to 12 July, the EU Migration Pact and external relations will also be discussed by EU leaders.
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During the summit on Thursday, the NGOs “Promote Ukraine” and “Promote Georgia” will be organising a joint demonstration with the aim of advocating for a clear path towards EU membership and NATO accession for both nations.
