It lies at the end of the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat and serves as a focus for major institutions of the European Union (EU).
It is named after Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of the European Union, the Council of Europe and NATO, and gives its name to the surrounding district (also known as the European Quarter) and Brussels-Schuman railway station.
The Robert Schuman Roundabout is in the centre of Brussels' European Quarter.
In 2016 the station was renovated to connect it by rail with Brussels Airport via the Schuman-Josaphat tunnel.
The area is to see some major rebuilding as EU offices are converted into shops and other civilian uses and the roundabout will be converted into one of three pedestrian squares, the theme of the new Schuman Square will concentrate on "policy and politics" (see Brussels and the EU#Future for details).