Lille has been selected as the location for the headquarters of the European Union Customs Authority, defeating eight other candidate cities.
The French city emerged victorious following a joint selection process conducted by EU Member States and the European Parliament.
Liège, along with The Hague, Malaga, Warsaw, Zagreb, Porto, and Bucharest, was eliminated earlier in the day during the preliminary stages.
Rome was the other finalist competing against Lille before the final decision was made.
Pierre-Yves Jeholet (MR), Walloon Minister of Economy, who advocated for Liège’s bid, commented that the campaign highlighted Wallonia and the city of Liège across the EU despite the outcome.
He praised Belgium’s unified and consistent defence of the bid, stating that the collective credibility established serves as a strong foundation for pursuing future European opportunities.
