The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Tuesday March 7 it was “
extremely concerned
” by a proposal from Amsterdam City Council to set up a large new brothel near its headquarters in the Dutch capital.
The municipality wants to move legal prostitution from the famous Red Light District located in the city center due to complaints from residents about crime and rowdy behavior from visitors.
“Safety, security and nuisance issues”
Two of the three proposed locations for the huge new brothel are close to the EMA headquarters in a business district in the south of Amsterdam.
The EMA in a statement said it was “
extremely concerned that this will create safety, security and nuisance issues
” for its staff and for visiting delegates who often have to leave late at night.
"
The change in location of the Red Light District is driven by concerns of nuisance, drug trafficking, drunkenness and disorderly behavior
," added the EMA, which fears "
the same negative impacts
" near its building. .
The EMA said it would now work with the European Commission in Brussels to take the matter to "the
highest appropriate political and diplomatic level to ensure a safe working environment
".
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The regulator, which moved from London to Amsterdam in 2019 due to Brexit, added that it only learned of the proposals from local media and regrets not having been consulted beforehand.
The once low-key agency has played a key role during the coronavirus pandemic, approving vaccines as the disease spread around the world, and addressing concerns about possible side effects.
“
The work of the EMA is essential for the protection of public health in the EU, and this should not be compromised by fears for EU staff and experts visiting the building”
of the regulator, did he declare.
The planned erotic center will have 100 places for sex workers, with spaces for work breaks and other reception areas, according to proposals from the Amsterdam City Council.
The city, which announced in February that it would ban cannabis smoking on neighborhood streets, wants an eventual closure of the Red Light District, known for its neon-lit windows behind which sex workers stand to lure customers. .
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