Heavy traffic disruptions are expected on Monday and Tuesday in Brussels as a major EU summit with Latin American and Caribbean countries gets underway.
A "safety zone" will be set up around the EU institutions in central Brussels, within which deliveries will not be possible. Rubbish bags and bicycles will also be prohibited from remaining on the pavement and all windows will have to be shut. Only people with a special pass and identity card will be able to enter the zone.
The zone will encompass Schuman roundabout, Rue Froissart (numbers 101-143) and part of Rue de la Loi (between Schuman roundabout and the RĂ©sidence Palace).
Only local traffic will be permitted on the following streets: Rue Archimède, between Rue Stévin and Schuman roundabout; Avenue de Cortenbergh, between Rue Stévin and the Schuman roundabout; Rue de la Loi, between Avenue de la Joyeuse Entrée and Schuman roundabout; Avenue d'Auderghem, between Rue Belliard and Schuman roundabout; and Rue Breydel. Parking above ground will also be banned on these streets.
The Reyers tunnel will be closed from 11:00 on Monday. Moreover, bus lines 12, 21, 36, 56, 60 and 79 will stop at Maelbeek instead of Schuman metro station. Bus lines 27, 59 and 80 will be diverted locally around Place Jourdan.
What's on the agenda?
The EU summit is being held together with CELAC, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. It is the first summit between the two blocs in eight years, as the EU attempts to deepen its political and economic ties in the Global South following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The summit's primary objective is to “renew” the EU’s relationship with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. The 27 EU heads of state and government and representatives of the 33 CELAC member countries will take part, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.
🌎 EU – CELAC Summit: A #GlobalGateway Investment Agenda with Latin America and the Caribbean
📽️: https://t.co/Sanrb4llE0 📸 & ℹ️: https://t.co/xIeT8uOSft pic.twitter.com/xDwu8A1rsh — EC AV Service (@EC_AVService) July 17, 2023
The trade agreement between the EU and the Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay) is expected to be at the heart of the discussions. This agreement was concluded in 2019 after more than 20 years of complex negotiations. But it has still not been ratified due to European concerns about environmental policies, especially in Brazil. Scepticism about this free trade agreement has also been growing in South America recently.
This is the third EU-CELAC meeting. The first took place in 2013 in Santiago (Chile) followed by a second in 2015 in Brussels.
