De Croo announces Task Force on future of Audi Brussels

Political contacts have been made with the Brussels government and the municipality of Forest to set up a working group on the future of the Audi Brussels plant, prime minister Alexander De Croo announced in parliament on Thursday.

This working group will have to include the local management of the car plant "to provide guarantees once again on the site's future", he said in response to a question from MP Tim Vandenput, a colleague in the Flemish liberal party Open VLD.

The management of Audi Brussels confirmed to unions on Monday that the new generation of the Q8 e-tron luxury SUV would no longer be produced at the Forest plant.

Various scenarios

The Audi Brussels management is examining various scenarios regarding the future of electric car production in Forest, spokesperson Peter D'hoore confirmed on Tuesday. He could not confirm that the next model of the brand would no longer be assembled in Brussels after 2027, as reported by the unions the day before.

De Croo told the plenary that he had had a telephone conversation with Audi CEO Gernot Döllner on Wednesday. "The current production model is only at the beginning of a cycle and is guaranteed until 2027. What the next model will be remains to be seen," he said. The VW group, of which Audi is a member, is currently reviewing the future of its production.

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