Luxembourg 2010.

212 Pages·2010·4.137 MB·English

by  OECD

OECD Environmental Performance Reviews
luxEmbOuRg
latest reviews available
OECD Environmental
• Germany 2001
Topics covered: • Iceland 2001 Performance Reviews
• Norway 2001
Air and Water
• Portugal 2001
Waste and Materials Management • Slovak Republic 2002 luxEmbOuRg
Nature and Biodiversity • Japan 2002
Environment-Economy Interface • United Kingdom 2002
• Italy 2002
Environment-Social Interface
• Netherlands 2003
International Commitments and Co-operation
• Poland 2003
• Mexico 2003
• Austria 2003 O
• Canada 2004 E
C
• Sweden 2004
D
• Spain 2004 E
This book is part of the OECD Environmental • France 2005 n
v
Performance Reviews Programme which conducts peer • Chile* 2005 ir
• Czech Republic 2005 o
reviews of environmental conditions and progress in n
• United States 2006 m
each member country. It scrutinises efforts to meet both • Korea 2006 e
n
domestic objectives and international commitments. • New Zealand 2007 t
a
The analyses presented are supported by a broad • China* 2007 l P
range of economic and environmental data and lead • Belgium 2007 e
r
• Switzerland 2007 f
to recommendations for further environmental and o
sustainable development progress. • Denmark 2008 rm
• Australia 2008 a
A second cycle of Environmental Performance Reviews, • Hungary 2008 nc
covering all member countries, will be completed •• TFuinrlkaenyd 22000089 e R
in 2010. It focuses on environmental management, e
• Greece 2009 v
sustainable development and international • Luxembourg 2010 ie
w
commitments. • Ireland 2010 s
* Non-OECD member country. l
u
x
E
m
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www.oecd.org/publishing iSbn 978-92-64-07727-0 -:HSTCQE=U\\W\U:
97 2010 01 1 P

OECD Environmental
Performance
Reviews
LUXEMBOURG
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION
AND DEVELOPMENT
The OECD is a unique forum where the governments of 30 democracies work together to
address the economic, social and environmental challenges of globalisation. The OECD is also at
the forefront of efforts to understand and to help governments respond to new developments
and concerns, such as corporate governance, the information economy and the challenges of an
ageing population. The Organisation provides a setting where governments can compare policy
experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practice and work to co-ordinate
domestic and international policies.
The OECD member countries are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the CzechRepublic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea,
Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Commission of
the European Communities takes part in the work of the OECD.
OECD Publishing disseminates widely the results of the Organisation’s statistics gathering
and research on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as the conventions,
guidelines and standards agreed by its members.
This work is published on the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions
expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the
Organisation or of the governments of its member countries.
ISBN 978-92-64-07727-0 (print)
ISBN 978-92-64-07728-7 (PDF)
Series: OECD Environmental Performance Review
ISSN 1990-0104 (print)
ISSN 1990-0090 (online)
Also available in French: Examens environnementaux de l’OCDE : Luxembourg
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© OECD 2010
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OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Luxembourg 3
FOREWORD
The principal aim of the OECD’s Environmental Performance Reviews
programme is to help member countries improve their individual and collective
performances in environmental management with the following primary goals:
– to helpi ndividual governments assess progress;
– to promote a continuous policy dialogue among member countries, through a
peer review process; and
– to stimulate greater accountability from member countries’ governments
towards their public opinion, within developed countries and beyond.
Environmental performance is assessed with regard to the degree of achievement
of domestic objectives and international commitments. Such objectives and
commitments may be broad aims, specific qualitative goals, precise quantitative
targets or a commitment to a set of measures to be taken. Assessment of
environmental performance is also placed within the context of historical
environmental records, the present state of the environment, the physical endowment
of the country in natural resources, its economic conditions and demographic trends.
These systematic and independent reviews have been conducted for all member
countries as part of the first cycle of reviews. The OECD is now engaged in the
second cycle of reviews directed at promoting sustainable development, with
emphasis on implementation of domestic and international environmental policy, as
well as on the integration of economic, social and environmental decision making.
The present report reviews environmental performance of Luxembourg. The
OECD extends its most sincere thanks to all those who helped in the course of this
review, to the representatives of member countries to the Working Party on
Environmental Performance, and especially to the examining countries (Belgium and
the United Kingdom) and their experts. The OECD is particularly indebted to the
government of Luxembourg for its co-operation in expediting the provision of
information and the organisation of the experts’ mission to Luxembourg, and in
facilitating contacts with many individuals both inside and outside administrative and
governmental structures. The present review benefited from grant support from Czech
Republic and Switzerland.
The OECD Working Party on Environmental Performance conducted the review
of Luxembourg at its meeting on 7October2009 and approved its conclusions and
recommendations.
Rob Visser,
Acting Director, Environment Directorate
© OECD 2010

OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Luxembourg 5
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS......................................... 15
1. Environmental Management........................................................................ 16
Strengthening the implementation and efficiency of environmental policies..... 16
Air ............................................................................................................ 17
Water............................................................................................................ 18
Waste and materials...................................................................................... 19
Nature and biodiversity................................................................................ 20
2. Towards Sustainable Development............................................................... 22
Integrating environmental concerns into economic decisions...................... 22
Integrating environmental and social decisions........................................... 23
3. International Co-operation........................................................................... 25
Part I
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
2. AIR AND WATER.......................................................................................... 27
Recommendations.............................................................................................. 28
Conclusions....................................................................................................... 28
Air ............................................................................................................ 28
Water............................................................................................................ 29
1. Air Management........................................................................................... 30
1.1 Air quality........................................................................................... 30
1.2 Air pollutant emissions....................................................................... 33
1.3 Assessment......................................................................................... 36
2. Water Management....................................................................................... 38
2.1 The state of resources......................................................................... 38
2.2 Water pricing...................................................................................... 44
3. Governance................................................................................................... 47
Selected Sources................................................................................................ 55
3. WASTE AND MATERIALS MANAGEMENT........................................... 57
Recommendations.............................................................................................. 58
Conclusions....................................................................................................... 58
1. Management and Action Framework........................................................... 59
1.1 Legislative and regulatory framework................................................ 59
1.2 Planning and implementation............................................................. 60
© OECD 2010
6 OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Luxembourg
2. Current Situation.......................................................................................... 60
2.1 Objectives........................................................................................... 60
2.2 Trends in waste generation and management..................................... 63
3. Waste Reduction and Materials Recovery.................................................... 67
3.1 Municipal waste.................................................................................. 67
3.2 Preventing consumer waste generation.............................................. 71
3.3 Industrial, commercial and service waste........................................... 71
3.4 Optimising material flows and resource productivity........................ 74
4. Treatment and Disposal of Final Waste........................................................ 74
4.1 Municipal waste.................................................................................. 74
4.2 Non-household waste......................................................................... 75
5. Particular Flows............................................................................................ 75
5.1 Hospital and similar waste.................................................................. 75
5.2 Inert waste........................................................................................... 76
6. Financing and Coherent Management.......................................................... 76
6.1 Expenditure and costs......................................................................... 76
6.2 Funding for municipal waste management......................................... 76
6.3 Assessment......................................................................................... 78
7. Polluted Sites and Soils................................................................................ 79
Selected Sources................................................................................................ 81
4. NATURE AND BIODIVERSITY................................................................... 83
Recommendations.............................................................................................. 84
Conclusions....................................................................................................... 84
1. Objectives..................................................................................................... 85
2. Status of Species and their Habitats............................................................. 86
2.1 Terrestrial and aquatic species............................................................ 86
2.2 Habitats............................................................................................... 86
3. The Policy Framework for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity.............. 92
3.1 Institutional framework...................................................................... 92
3.2 Legislative framework........................................................................ 92
3.3 National Plan for Nature Conservation.............................................. 94
3.4 Funding frameworks........................................................................... 95
4. Protected Areas and Species........................................................................ 97
4.1 Protected areas.................................................................................... 97
4.2 Species management.......................................................................... 100
5. Conservation outside Protected Areas.......................................................... 100
5.1 Land use management........................................................................ 100
5.2 Territorial planning............................................................................. 102
6. International Co-operation........................................................................... 103
Selected Sources................................................................................................ 105
© OECD 2010
OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Luxembourg 7
Part II
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
5. ECONOMY-ENVIRONMENT INTERFACE.............................................. 107
Recommendations.............................................................................................. 108
Conclusions....................................................................................................... 108
Integrating environmental concerns into economic decisions...................... 108
Strengthening the implementation and efficiency of environmental policies110
1. The Environment and Economic Growth..................................................... 110
1.1 The years2000-07: strong growth and decoupling?.......................... 111
1.2 The period2008-09: crisis and opportunities?................................... 114
2. Institutionalising Sustainable Development................................................. 117
2.1 Institutions.......................................................................................... 117
2.2 From PNDD1 to PNDD2.................................................................... 117
2.3 Assessment......................................................................................... 118
3. Sustainable Development in Practice: Market-Based Integration................ 119
3.1 Energy taxes........................................................................................ 119
3.2 Transport taxes.................................................................................... 121
3.3 Assessment......................................................................................... 122
4. Sustainable Development in Practice: Sector Policies................................. 123
4.1 Energy................................................................................................. 123
4.2 Transportation..................................................................................... 127
5. Environmental Policy Implementation......................................................... 129
5.1 Objectives........................................................................................... 129
5.2 Institutions.......................................................................................... 130
5.3 Legislation.......................................................................................... 132
5.4 Regulatory instruments....................................................................... 134
5.5 Economic instruments........................................................................ 137
5.6 Voluntary instruments......................................................................... 138
5.7 Territorial planning............................................................................. 139
5.8 Expenditure on environmental protection.......................................... 140
Selected Sources................................................................................................ 143
6. SOCIAL-ENVIRONMENTAL INTERFACE............................................... 145
Recommendations ............................................................................................. 146
Conclusions....................................................................................................... 146
1. Environment and Health............................................................................... 147
1.1 Policy objectives and institutions....................................................... 147
1.2 Health status and trends...................................................................... 150
1.3 Environment-related health risk factors.............................................. 151
© OECD 2010
8 OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Luxembourg
2. Environmental Democracy........................................................................... 152
2.1 Access to environmental information................................................. 153
2.2 Production and dissemination of environmental information............ 153
2.3 Access to justice in environmental matters........................................ 154
2.4 Public participation............................................................................. 154
3. Local Initiatives............................................................................................ 155
4. Environmental Education and Awareness.................................................... 157
5. Employment and the Environment............................................................... 158
Selected Sources................................................................................................ 160
Part III
INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS
7. INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION......................................................... 161
Recommendations.............................................................................................. 162
Conclusions....................................................................................................... 162
1. Official Development Assistance (ODA)..................................................... 165
1.1 Luxembourg sets the example............................................................ 165
1.2 ODA and environment........................................................................ 167
2. Trade and Environment................................................................................ 167
2.1 Multinational business guidelines...................................................... 167
2.2 Trade in hazardous substances............................................................ 168
2.3 Trade in endangered species............................................................... 171
3. Climate Change............................................................................................ 171
3.1 Objectives and trends.......................................................................... 171
3.2 The National Strategy......................................................................... 172
3.3 Post-Kyoto.......................................................................................... 176
4. Regional Co-operation................................................................................. 177
4.1 Frameworks for co-operation............................................................. 177
4.2 Transboundary waters......................................................................... 178
4.3 Air pollution....................................................................................... 182
Selected Sources................................................................................................ 185
© OECD 2010