Media: Belgium taps Huawei’s VIP box at Anderlecht in EU lobbying probe

Belgian security services secretly recorded conversations inside a corporate box at RSC Anderlecht’s football stadium that was being used by Chinese tech company Huawei to lobby Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

Multiple sources familiar with the case revealed in a conversation with POLITICO that the surveillance extended beyond the stadium, including recordings from the car of one of Huawei’s senior lobbyists. These operations were part of a broader corruption investigation, first reported in March, which led Belgian prosecutors to seek the lifting of immunity for a group of MEPs in order to question them.

Huawei had rented the box at Anderlecht’s Lotto Park stadium—previously known as Constant Vanden Stock Stadium—for the 2024/25 season for around €50,000. The venue hosted major European clubs such as Fenerbahçe, Porto, and Real Sociedad, making it a high-profile setting for cultivating political relationships.

Sources said authorities are probing whether the rental was part of a wider strategy by Huawei lobbyists to influence EU policymaking. Surveillance records reportedly show the box was used to initiate contact with MEPs, beginning by inviting their aides and gradually extending invitations to lawmakers across political groups, as well as former MEPs and EU officials.

Belgian prosecutors are investigating whether MEPs accepted bribes in the form of gifts, paid travel, and event invitations between 2021 and 2024 in exchange for favorable political positions. One of the individuals familiar with the probe said the box was used to "grease" politicians as a means of building relationships.

The methods used in the surveillance are considered standard for this type of investigation, a fourth source noted. In March, police carried out raids at over 20 locations in Belgium and Portugal related to the alleged payment scheme. Authorities suspect Huawei funded an open letter signed by eight MEPs in support of its business interests.

Five people were initially charged in March, with prosecutors increasing the number to eight in April. Among those appearing in court were three Huawei employees and a director from Brussels-based conference organiser Forum Europe. All are presumed innocent.

A spokesperson for RSC Anderlecht said the club has “no intention to renew” its contract with Huawei after the current season and noted it had received no formal request from Belgian authorities regarding the investigation.