AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is not happy with a plan under consideration by the City of Amsterdam to create a new “erotic centre” near its headquarters, the drugs regulator said on Tuesday.
Amsterdam has been considering relocating legal prostitution away from its historic red light district for years and in February announced three possible locations.
Two are near the new EMA building, which is near major hotels and the city’s financial district.
The EMA moved its headquarters to Amsterdam in 2019, leaving London after Britain left the European Union.
The agency said in a statement it was “very concerned” about plans for the centre, which is to include around 100 “work spaces” for sex workers as well as bars and entertainment.
“The change of the location of the Red Light District is motivated by concerns of nuisance, drug-dealing, drunkenness and disorderly behaviour,” the EMA said in a statement.
“Locating the Erotic Centre in close proximity to EMA’s building is likely to bring the same negative impacts to the adjacent area.”
The agency said it was concerned for the safety of its staff and visitors and noted that it had an agreement in place with the Dutch government guaranteeing “security and tranquillity” of its offices.
The city is facing several challenges from groups opposed to relocating the red light district and a spokesperson said Tuesday they could not immediately respond to the EMA’s specific concerns.
Prostitution has been legal in the Netherlands since the year 2000 and was tolerated in the red light district for decades before that.
However the district has been changing in recent years as residents complain about excessive tourism. In February the city announced a plan to ban smoking cannabis in the red light district.
(Reporting by Toby Sterling; editing by Louise Heavens and Jason Neely)
