By Martin Banks - 26th January 2010
This incident illustrates what has become an increasingly problem
Alexander Graf Lambsdorff
A parliament meeting has heard that MEPs and EU civil servants are increasingly becoming targets for criminals "preying" on EU institutions.
Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, deputy leader of the ALDE group, said the issue was now "cause for real concern".
He said he had decided to speak out after an MEP colleague, who he did not name, was "beaten up" outside parliament recently.
He declined to give further details but added, "This incident illustrates what has become an increasingly problem."
The German member said the problem was compounded by the complex nature of the political situation in Brussels.
"Unfortunately, parliament, council and commission are situated at the intersection of two or three police precincts and this makes it difficult to get a competent police response to such problems. This, in turn, makes it very difficult to identify those responsible for such attacks," he said.
The deputy said the safety and security of both local Belgians and those working in the EU institutions in the European quarter should be of "paramount" importance.
"Brussels, as the self-proclaimed capital of Europe, should be a predominantly safe city," he added. "This is a serious matter and I think more needs to be done on this front.
"If, together with the Belgian authorities, we [the institutions] can do this we will be making a great contribution to improving the image of Brussels, not least for those who work in the institutions like parliament."
He was speaking at a debate in parliament on Tuesday on the relationship between Brussels and EU institutions.
The event, organised by the Ludwig von Mises Institute-Europe, a Brussels-based think tank, was told that the relationship is often "fraught" because of the disruption caused by building EU institutions.
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