EditBelgian police raid European Commission offices in probe over 2024 property sale
The transaction occurred under the previous Commission mandate, during which Johannes Hahn served as Commissioner for Budget and Administration
Belgian federal police conducted searches at multiple European Commission buildings in Brussels on Thursday as part of an investigation into potential irregularities surrounding the 2024 sale of EU-owned real estate assets, the Financial Times first reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The operation, carried out at the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), targeted premises including the Commission’s budget department. It focuses on the divestment of 23 buildings sold to Belgium’s sovereign wealth fund, the Société Fédérale de Participations et d’Investissement (SFPIM), for approximately €900 million in 2024.
The transaction occurred under the previous Commission mandate, during which Johannes Hahn served as Commissioner for Budget and Administration (2019–2024).
A Commission spokesperson confirmed awareness of the ongoing investigation and expressed confidence that the sale process “was conducted in a compliant manner” in line with EU financial regulations, including public tendering requirements. The EPPO acknowledged “evidence-collecting activities” but provided no further details on the probe’s scope, suspects, or timeline. Belgian police and the EU’s anti-fraud office OLAF declined to comment.
The sale aimed to offload underutilized or aging Commission properties, freeing up resources while allowing the Belgian state – via SFPIM – to renovate and repurpose them for commercial and residential use, potentially generating long-term value. At the time, the Commission presented the deal as a standard asset management exercise to optimize its real estate portfolio amid budget constraints and shifting office needs post-pandemic.
No charges have been announced, and the investigation remains in an early evidence-gathering phase. Sources close to the matter told the FT and AFP that the probe examines whether transparency rules, fair competition principles, proper valuation, or procurement procedures were breached. The involvement of the EPPO, an independent EU body established in 2021 to combat fraud affecting the bloc’s financial interests, underscores the seriousness of the allegations, though details are scarce.
This development comes amid broader scrutiny of EU institutions’ financial dealings. It follows separate high-profile EPPO-led cases, such as the 2025 raids related to procurement fraud in EU-funded diplomatic training programs involving the College of Europe and the European External Action Service. While unrelated, these incidents highlight the EPPO’s growing role in probing potential misuse of EU funds or assets.
The Commission has emphasized full cooperation with authorities. A spokesperson reiterated that the institution takes such matters seriously and trusts the process will confirm procedural integrity. For now, the raids represent a routine investigative step rather than evidence of wrongdoing, but they risk fueling perceptions of opacity in EU real estate management at a time when the bloc faces criticism over administrative efficiency and spending accountability.
The Belgian sovereign wealth fund SFPIM, which manages state investments and holds stakes in strategic companies, has not commented publicly on the matter.
As of recent years (pre-2024 sales), the Commission managed or occupied around 50 office buildings in Brussels. The EU executive aims for a 25% overall reduction in occupied office space by 2030 (from roughly 780,000 m² to around 580,000 m²), while consolidating staff into fewer, more modern buildings. This would likely leave it with around 25–30 core buildings in active long-term use, though some older ones may still be leased or phased out.
With FT, AFP, Reuters, with addtional content by g.g.
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Caption: The Berlaymont, the historic Commission building, is not for sale [photo: Georgi Gotev]
Updated: February 12, 2026 - 17:42
