Imagine this: you’re walking through the halls of the EEAS Belmont building in Brussels. It’s a cold day—no surprise there. But this isn’t the sort of chill you expect from a brisk Brussels winter. No, this is a bone-rattling cold that makes you wish you had packed a sleeping bag, thermal socks, and perhaps a few extra layers of diplomacy…
Forget reading your emails — your primary task now is survival. The chill is so intense that if you tried to slide to the cafeteria, you’d be in danger of losing the feeling in your legs before reaching the door.
Unfortunately, this is not a scene from a winter survival reality show. This is the everyday reality for colleagues in EEAS Belmont building, where temperatures regularly plummet (the lowest we’ve seen so far is 17°C) and if they are lucky, they can hit the top at a balmy 19°C. Yes, you read that right: seventeen degrees Celsius. It’s not just a slight discomfort; it’s almost an arctic expedition with the added thrill of trying to draft crucial policy papers while shivering uncontrollably.
“Heating Policy” or “Frozen Diplomacy”?
Now, we’ve all received the official correspondence about energy efficiency measures. The EEAS, in a valiant effort to follow the Commission’s greening policies, has set a target of the legal minimum, in Brussels that’s 19°C, as the maximum ambient temperature, which in reality it is of course lower than that in many places in buildings, not just in the odd cold spots. This adherence to national minimums is now standard practice for all EU institutions (20°C in Luxembourg), and it’s a great initiative if you’re working in a lovely, moderately heated office. But, as we’ve discovered, “best practice” can be a little too ambitious when applied to certain buildings—Belmont, for instance.
The Commission and OIB management, no doubt doing their best, set up a pre-heating programme and encouraged all of us to wear warmer clothes when they said “As winter is on our doorstep, we can also all play our part by putting on warmer clothes to come to the office”. The message is clear: If you’re cold, just bundle up—you’re at work, after all! It’s almost as though the strategy is to turn the office into a giant version of an outdoor ice bar—just with more spreadsheets and fewer cocktails.
“But It’s the beginning of 2025—Shouldn’t we be past this?”
Let’s stop for a moment and reflect: We’re not stuck in some remote outpost; most of us work in the heart of Brussels, one of the most important diplomatic hubs in Europe. It’s an era of technological advancements, climate action plans, and international cooperation. Surely, the same attention to detail that goes into crafting complex foreign policies could be applied to ensuring that staff members don’t freeze into statues?
“The Ice Age is here—But we’re not ready”
It’s not just about personal discomfort (although we admit that wearing three layers of clothing while typing is hardly conducive to efficient work). There’s a real cost to productivity here. How can we possibly focus on delicate international matters or delicate human resources aspects when our minds are consumed with the immediate, life-threatening question: How long can I last before I need to go home and warm up? We’ve raised this issue in every forum possible and from every possible angle, most recently with the medical service, from the point of view of colleagues with temperature-sensitive health conditions. The response was that very few, if any, such conditions exist.
Perhaps it’s time to reconsider the definition of “comfort” in the workplace. Maybe the “comfort zone” should include an office temperature where you cannot see your breath. We should be aware that our work is mainly static, which of course makes us even more sensitive to cold. Is it too much to ask for a warm space to work? Can we at least aspire to a temperature that doesn’t awaken our survivalist skills?
The Temperature is too low! —Let’s discuss the solution
There’s a saying in the diplomatic world: “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” While we find this a little harsh, enduring chilly conditions with only few polite complaints is not making enough noise. It’s time for a change. The EEAS hierarchy might claim that the heating is set to the same temperature as other EU buildings, but the reality is clear: Belmont is not Schuman. It’s time for a tailored solution—one that doesn’t require us to negotiate with frostbite every time we step into the office.
So, what’s the solution? In short: Let’s raise the temperature, just a little bit. Let’s prioritise staff well-being over energy statistics, because, believe us, no one is going to be able to achieve anything when they’re huddled in a thermal cocoon, hoping for the best.
Generation 2004 calls for action!
In the spirit of constructive diplomacy (and basic human comfort), we call upon EEAS management to revisit the heating policies—especially in the Belmont building. While we fully support the EU’s green objectives, there’s no reason why we can’t have energy efficiency and a workplace that doesn’t require us to wear our winter jackets indoors.
On that note, Generation 2004 supports the EU Green Deal commitment to become climate neutral by 2030 and the corresponding Energy savings in Commission buildings exercise where that reduction in energy use is:
- Real: not simply added to the energy bills of colleagues working from home,
- Iinclusive: done with the participation and feedback of colleagues for whom this directly impacts their participation in the workplace,
- Transparent: done with clear expectations and timelines, engaging with staff on action and collaborating on solving issues raised.
To those still navigating the frosty halls of Belmont: Hang in there! The change may come eventually. Until then, we’ll continue to raise our voices for a change—and, ideally, for a little warmth.
To all of you who are cold, please leave a paper trail! In December 2023 we asked for an evaluation to be done on that first year of a lowered minimum temperature.
While the response was underwhelming, it did encourage all of us to open tickets: let’s do it!
Contact: Brussels 55555 or open a ticket and here for Luxembourg. If you send us the contact links for other sites we’ll add them here.