When the European School in Evere opened in 2021, it was meant to be a quick fix for the chronic overcrowding in Brussels’ European Schools. Four years later, that “temporary” solution has become home to more than 1 500 pupils of the European School II. Parents, teachers and children have built a real community there.
The problem?
Legally and politically, the site was never meant to last.
The Evere campus was authorised under a temporary urban-planning permit delivered by the Brussels-Capital Region. That permit expires in March 2027. To continue, the Belgian Buildings Agency would need to request successive short-term renewals, each one subject to the Region’s approval. No renewal request has yet been confirmed and there is still no long-term plan. Families and staff remain in limbo.
At the same time, the land on which the school stands falls under the Projet d’Aménagement Directeur (PAD) “Défense”, adopted by the Brussels Government in 2024. The plan designates that area for a future access road and public green spaces, not for a permanent school. The PAD explicitly treats the current buildings as temporary structures allowed only through successive time-limited permits. Changing the urban planning zone type would require a full modification procedure from environmental assessment, public consultation and several advisory opinions leading to a process that easily stretches over years.
Some have suggested relocating the school to another part of the Défense perimeter, where zones for “équipements collectifs”, meaning areas reserved for public or community facilities such as schools, sports centers or cultural buildings, could in theory host a new school. On paper, this might be possible. In practice, these areas are smaller, lack bus-parking capacity and would require new permits. Coordination between the federal government (landowner), the Brussels-Capital Region (urban-planning authority) and the European Commission (user) has so far been minimal. As often in Belgium, competences are divided but responsibility is blurred.
According to the latest information shared by the Director of the European School Brussels II in the December 2025 school newsletter, the Buildings Agency informed the Secretary-General of the European Schools that the Evere site is currently subject to a “renewal of the planning permit” procedure. The existing permit is valid until 16 March 2027, and the Agency intends to submit a renewal application before the end of 2026. If accepted, this renewal would extend validity until 2037. The Brussels authority “Perspectives.brussels” has reportedly confirmed that such an extension should not present difficulties. However, this remains an administrative prolongation, not a permanent solution.
Behind all this administrative vocabulary are real people. Uncertainty over Evere’s future affects enrolment, recruitment and the trust of families who have already been moved once from Woluwe. Temporary measures may be acceptable in an emergency; they become indefensible when they persist for decades.
The way forward
Generation 2004 believes the time for quiet waiting is over. The situation is clear; what is missing is political will and coordination. The European Commission should publish all correspondence concerning the Evere site and the PAD Défense so that parents and staff know what has been requested, promised or refused. The Commissioner for Budget and Administration Piotr Serafin should formally ask the Belgian Government and the Brussels-Capital Region for a clear legally enforceable commitment whether Evere can remain beyond 2027 and, if not, which site will replace it and when.
Supportive Members of the European Parliament, notably in the Culture and Education (CULT) committee, should table written questions to the Commission about Belgium’s host-state obligations for schooling capacity in Brussels. Within the governance of the European Schools, the Brussels Steering Committee should keep Evere as a standing agenda item until a concrete decision is reached.
In parallel, major renovation works are now planned for the Woluwe campus, expected to run in two phases until 2029, with a complete reorganisation of premises and the relocation of all secondary levels to Woluwe from September 2026. While this may slightly ease the pressure on Evere, it does not replace the need for a long-term decision about Evere’s own future.
Above all, the discussion must become public and continuous. Regular briefings with Belgian and regional representatives and clear timelines would prevent the issue from quietly expiring with the next permit.
Immediate actions by Generation 2004
Generation 2004 has already asked for the future of Evere site to be formally raised in the Brussels Local Staff Committee plenary, with DG HR invited to provide clarifications. This ensures that the issue enters institutional discussion rather than remaining an informal concern among parents and staff.
In the coming period, Generation 2004 will continue monitoring developments around the Evere permits and the PAD Defense planning framework and will inform colleagues and parents as soon as further steps become possible. Our aim is to maintain transparency, follow the evolution of the file, and push for a coordinated, long-term solution that treats the 1 500 children in Evere not as a temporary inconvenience but as a shared responsibility.
The uncertainty surrounding Evere exposes a deeper structural problem. The European Schools in Brussels continue to grow without a coherent host-state plan for land and buildings. The Buildings Agency’s latest report confirms this structural imbalance: while over €12 million will be invested in adapting the Woluwe site, there is still no equivalent permanent project for Evere. The long-promised fifth school in Neder-over-Heembeek advances slowly, while “temporary” solutions multiply and existing sites operate at the edge of their capacity.
Evere was never meant to be permanent, but neither should uncertainty be. Brussels cannot keep educating thousands of children on expiring permits. It is time for all parties Belgian, regional and European to face the reality written in their own planning documents and finally build a future worthy of European Schools’ children.
Colleagues who wish to support the families concerned can sign the ongoing petition launched by parents, which calls for clarity and long-term planning for the Evere school community.
Further reading
- Overview and maps – perspective.brussels
- Evere building permit
- 15 December 2025 Newsletter, European School Brussels II (Director Kamila Malik)
Other articles on European schools: Urgent Call for Reform in European Schools | Generation 2004
