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Environmental rules - Luxembourg

Updated 01/2010

Legal requirements

Environmental control

Land development

The Law on classified facilities requires you to obtain prior authorisation for any industrial, commercial or craft facility, whether public or private, whenever its activity may present danger or nuisance to:

  • security, health or convenience;             
  • health and safety of workers in the workplace as well as the human and natural environment.
  • Law on classified facilities pdf [157 KB] français
  • Construction and development of the site français

Waste management

Under Luxembourg law, business owners must comply with laws on processing and recycling electrical and electronic waste.

  • Regulation on waste from electrical and electronic equipment pdf [103 KB] français
  • Waste management and treatment français
  • Waste from electrical and electronic equipment - Environment portal français
  • Waste from electrical and electronic equipment - Trade Confederation of Luxembourg français

The regulation on packaging waste covers household packaging, non-household packaging and packaging manager responsibilities.

  • Regulation on packaging and packaging waste pdf [696 KB] français
  • Packaging and packaging waste - Environment portal français
  • Packaging waste - Trade Confederation of Luxembourg français

The law also covers:

  • inert waste;   
  • contamination of soil and subsoil;   
  • obtaining authorisation for the collection, transport, elimination or processing of waste by a third party.   
  • Inert waste français
  • Contaminated sites français
  • Transfer of waste français

Chemicals

Under the European REACH Regulation, business owners must register certain chemicals.

Water

The Law on protecting and managing water covers authorisations for specific cases of water discharge or extraction.           

  • Law on protecting and managing water pdf [269 KB] français

Since the Law on protecting nature and natural resources came into effect, a permit for certain types of works (drainage, dredging, pumping, strengthening banks, etc.) is now obligatory.

  • Law on protecting nature and natural resources pdf [259 KB] français

The law on protecting and managing water has made it obligatory to get permission for watercourses.        

  • Law on protecting and managing water pdf [269 KB] français

Climate and air

The Law on the trading of greenhouse gas emission quotas establishes a system for trading greenhouse gas emission quotas, to encourage a reduction in emissions.

  • Law on the trading of greenhouse gas emission quotas pdf [87 KB] français

Nuclear protection

Business owners using or transporting radioactive materials must have a permit to store, use or transport radioactive sources or X-ray equipment.

  • Monitoring of equipment emitting ionising radiation - Ministry of Health français

Businesses are free to go beyond the minimum environmental legal requirements at their own initiative.

Administrative procedures

Declaratory procedures, permits and licences

Land development

A request for a construction permit should be addressed to the municipal authorities in the area where the business is located. The documents required to obtain the permit vary according to the municipality.

  • Requesting a construction permit for any building, conversion or demolition work français

           Facilities are classified   into 4 classes and 2 subclasses according to their size and activity, corresponding to 6 different permit procedures. Once you determine the right class, you may request an operating permit.

  • Nomenclature of classified facilities pdf [157 KB] français
  • Permit associated with the site (commodo-incommodo) français
  • Index of commodo forms   français

The operating permit for a classified facility (commodo/incommodo) is issued by the Minister of the Environment and/or the Minister of Labour and Employment.

  • Requesting an operating permit for a classified facility (commodo/incommodo) français
  • Requesting an operating permit for a classified facility (commodo/incommodo) - Submitting the request français
  • Requesting an operating permit for a classified facility (commodo/incommodo) - Deadlines for the request français
  • Procedures - Environment portal français
  • Employment Administration français

To construct or modify a facility, you need to obtain several permits. Permits are granted depending on the presence of a green zone within the municipal development plan or watercourse plan.

  • Nature conservation - permit request   français

Waste management

The Ministry of the Environment issues:

  • the permit to transport waste (collection and transport of waste) pdf [220 KB] français
  • the permit to process waste (disposal or recycling of waste) pdf [190 KB] français

Every business owner who transports waste must hold a permit issued by the Ministry of the Environment. The same applies for parties eliminating or processing waste for third parties.

  • Permit request forms   français

You must submit a waste prevention and management plan (PPGD), notably containing data on collecting, storing and processing waste from the business.

  • Essential elements of a PPGD pdf [47 KB] français
  • Waste prevention and management plan (PPGD) français

You must make your own waste management plan or entrust the management to an organisation approved by the Ministry of the Environment. You must demonstrate that you guarantee the financing for collecting and processing your waste: 

  • by registering with the Environment Administration ;  
  • by becoming a member of an organisation approved by the Ministry of the Environment.
  • Environment Administration français

The obligations relating to electrical and electronic waste must be met by the business owner or by Ecotrel. You must register with the Ministry of the Environment.

  • Ecotrel français
  • Waste - Environment portal français

Chemicals

Any business owner, whether a manufacturer, importer or user of chemicals, is obliged to register all chemicals manufactured or imported in the EU in volumes exceeding 1 tonne per year.

  • REACH in Luxembourg français

Water

A business wishing to discharge or extract water must apply by registered letter sent to the water management directorate, providing the following data: 

  • surname, first names, capacity and domicile of the applicant and operator;    
  • nature and location of the installations and procedures to be implemented, as well as the approximate quantities of water to be extracted and discharged;
  • future measures to prevent or minimise inconveniences that these extractions may result in.

The following documents must also be sent with the registered letter:

  • plan of the facility   on a scale of 1:200, including the layout of the premises and location of the installations;
  • recent extract from the land registry plan, including the plots located within a 200-metre perimeter of the facility;        
  • extract from a topographical map   on a scale of 1:10,000 or 1:20,000, for identifying the planned location of the establishment, if located outside an agglomeration.
  • Water Management Authority français
  • Forms - Water Management Authority   français

Climate and air

A request for a permit to emit greenhouse gases should be addressed to the Minister of the Environment and sent to the Environment Administration.

  • Requesting a permit to emit greenhouse gases français

Nuclear protection

Some activities involving the storage, use or transport of radioactive materials or X-ray equipment require a permit. The permits are issued by the Government in Council, the Minister of Health or the Director of Health.

  • Requesting a permit to store, use or transport radioactive sources or X-ray equipment français

Resources

Business owners can find relevant information on the environment portal, the Guichet entreprises business portal, the Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Development website and the Water Management Authority website.

  • Environment portal français
  • Operation / environment - Guichet entreprises français
  • Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Development français
  • Water Management Authority français

             Ecotrel is the only approved organisation likely to meet the requirements imposed on producers and importers of electrical and electronic devices. It manages and supports systems for collecting, recycling, processing, salvaging and eliminating this type of waste.

  • Ecotrel français

             Valorlux has a system for managing all household and similar packaging introduced into the market.

  • Valorlux français

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

Living and moving in Europe

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The Enterprise Europe Network provides businesses with information and advice through its local contact points. 

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Further help

The SuperDrecksKëscht® fir Betriber campaign assists businesses in setting up a waste prevention and management plan.

  • SuperDrecksKëscht® français

To help businesses comply with the REACH regulations, a national technical assistance service called the REACH helpdesk has been set up in Luxembourg.