The European Medicines Agency said Thursday (21 December) that it was “extremely concerned” by the Amsterdam authorities’ proposal to move its red light district outside the city — and close to the EMA headquarters.
Mayor Femke Halsema wants to uproot the inner-city red light district to clean up Amsterdam’s image as a “sin city” and respond to residents’ complaints about petty crime and rowdy tourists in the area.
On Monday, city leaders said they had chosen Europa Boulevard on the southern edge of Amsterdam’s main business district for a new “Erotic Centre” and would put the proposal to the local council early next year.
“EMA is extremely concerned about the impact of the decision on its surrounding environment as the proposed location for the Erotic Centre is in close proximity to the EMA premises,” the medicines watchdog said of the site, which is 800 metres from its headquarters and close to residential areas.
“The agency will keep monitoring the decision-making process very closely,” it said, adding that concerns it had expressed earlier this year “still stand”.
The EMA, which moved from London to Amsterdam after the UK left the European Union, has said the erotic centre could affect the safety of people working late at its offices.
The city’s plans have also been opposed by locals who do not want the new centre on their doorstep, as well as sex workers who feel they are scapegoats for the criminals and crowds surrounding their neon-lit booths in the De Wallen red light district.
Europa Boulevard was one of three possible locations for the erotic centre, which would have 100 rooms for sex workers, allowing the authorities to shut an equal number of brothel rooms in the city centre.
The project could take seven years to complete.
Tens of thousands of people have signed various petitions opposing the move, calling instead for better crowd control and greater police surveillance in De Wallen, especially at night.
(Edited by Georgi Gotev)
Source: euractiv.com
