(2 Sep 2004)
1. Various of exterior of Berlaymont Building (EU Commission Building)
2. Various of interiors of EU Commission meeting room
3. Various of workers on top floor
4. Various of large meeting room
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Neil Kinnock, EU Commission Vice-President:
"We've got quality. We are paying for quality but what we are paying is a restrained cost in consequence of the contract that I negotiated with the Belgium government. It comes to 553 million euros (673 million US dollars). We've got a 27 year mortgage. The annual payments under that mortgage will be measurably less than we have to pay for any other accommodation of equivalent capacity. So in all those terms, it is cost effective (especially) for the purchase of a building on a prime site, (which is) totally renovated. That agreement is economically very satisfactory and it safeguards the interest of the European taxpayer."
6. Various of press room being finished
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Neil Kinnock, EU Commission Vice-President:
"We've installed modern security arrangements as a basic design feature of the building - unfortunately for all the obvious reasons but also because we want to maximise real public access and access for the press. In today's world it is necessary to have satisfactory security."
8. Wide shot of atrium
9. Woman cleaning kitchen area
10. Exterior view through glass ceiling
11. European Union flag
12. Wide exterior of Berlyamont Building
STORYLINE:
The new European Commission (EU) building - known as the Berlaymont - opened its doors for the first time in Brussels on Thursday.
Journalists were given a first viewing of this newly renovated building that is set to become home to more than 3,000 EU commission officials.
The first wave will move in by the end of the month.
The original building was built in the 1960s but was shut down in 1991 due to the use of a asbestos in its original design.
Fifteen-hundred tonnes of asbestos had to be removed before renovation work begun.
Now, 14 years later and at a cost of just over 500 (m) million euros (608 million US dollars) the building is once again ready to be used, boasting the latest in environmental and energy saving technology.
The building also has state of the art security technology, which EU Commission Vice-President Neil Kinnock hopes will enable more members of the public to visit the famous site.
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