First Dar Malta now House of Europe

As if the storm that erupted after the controversial purchase of Dar Malta in Brussels was not enough, another controversy appears to be brewing about House of Europe, or Dar l-Ewropa, this time in Valletta.

A property in St Paul Street, Valletta, is being purchased by the European Commission and the European Parliament for a €3 million (Lm1.32 million).

The building will house the offices of both institutions in Malta. However, according to a report by the secretary general of the European Parliament, Julian Priestly, the purchase of this property is not being supported by Maltese MEPs as it is deemed "not to be in a suitable location".

In order for the purchase to go ahead, it needs the green light by the Budget Committee of the European Parliament. Sources close to the committee say a yes vote is still uncertain.

The building in question is located just behind the Valletta market and although considered quite spacious, with a surface area of 1,100 square metres, it is considered to lack visibility and accessibility, two very important criteria for an office belonging to the EU institutions. It has also been noted that very few pedestrians walk past the building.

At present, the EP office in Malta is situated in a building in Republic Street. But, according to the EP's report, this property does not offer sufficient space for the two institutions together and the internal layout is not well suited for the functional requirements of both offices. In addition, the report states that the building is owned by the Maltese government and is only available for rent.

The Commission's representative office is in Ta' Xbiex.

According to Mr Priestly's submissions, a total of nine buildings in Valletta had been considered. After inspections, only two made the grade according to "normal selection criteria of location, visibility, accessibility, functional suitability and price".

The report states that a building in Old Bakery Street would have been more expensive as it would have had to be totally demolished, bar for the façade. Thus, the building in St Paul Street was recommended by the two EU institutions.

In an annex to the report, it is specified that the building in St Paul's Street will be bought for Lm950,000 and another Lm360,000 are needed for refurbishment, which the owners would be prepared to undertake.

On the other hand, the other building in Old Bakery Street, which was considered to be more centrally located, had been offered at a sale price of Lm550,000. According to the EP, however, the costs for its demolition and reconstruction were estimated to reach between Lm1 million and Lm1.5 million and will take "at least three years to complete".