The European Medicines Agency has complained to the European Commission about Amsterdam’s plan to potentially locate a new erotic centre close to its offices and says it plans to raise the issue at highest appropriate political and diplomatic level.

Two of the three locations which have been earmarked for the centre are close to the EMA and, the agency said, it could be ‘potentially greatly impacted by these proposals.’

‘The EMA is very concerned that this will create safety, security and nuisance issues for the 900 + staff, coming to and from work, and for the large number of international delegates that need to enter and leave the agency’s premises, often late in the evening, and staying in nearby hotels,’ the EU body said in a statement.

The EMA said it had only found out about the plans via the media and that city officials have not been in touch. ‘The EMA would have expected to be consulted about the appropriateness of the location,’ the agency told Dutch News in a statement.

The city plans to replace 100 of the 249 brothel windows in the red light district with a multi-storey centre for prostitution and erotic entertainment, built by a private developer on city land.

‘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.

‘Locating the Erotic Centre in close proximity to EMA’s building is likely to bring the same negative impacts to the adjacent area.’

Both locations in Amsterdam Zuid are within 10 minutes walk from the EMA office, according to Google maps.

The EMA moved from London the Amsterdam in the wake of Brexit. Safety and security were also key requirements for the selection criteria of the new location for EMA at the time of the agency’s relocation process in 2017, the agency said.