Suspicious powder at the European Commission, on the floor of Ursula von der Leyen

MISE À DAY

An envelope containing suspicious powder was discovered on Friday at the premises of the European Commission in Brussels, on the floor where President Ursula von der Leyen works, firefighters said.&nbsp ;

The discovery led to the evacuation of part of the Berlaymont building at midday and to a major deployment of emergency vehicles, noted an AFP journalist.

The Commission services were quickly reassuring.

“The 13th floor (where the European official of German nationality works, editor's note) was evacuated, but everyone is fine” , Eric Mamer, spokesperson for the European executive, told the press.

The suspicious powder was to be analyzed by the Civil Protection, a detachment of which went to the scene, the relief workers said. .

According to Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the Brussels fire brigade contacted by AFP, “a member of staff (of the Commission) with my nipulated the envelope had to be placed in solitary confinement” awaiting the results of this analysis. But this person has “no medical symptoms”, he stressed.

The incident occurred when stood, opposite the Berlaymont, in the building of the Council of the EU, a meeting of European Energy Ministers on the energy crisis caused by Russia's war in Ukraine.