Environment, water and nature return through the whole 2023–2028 legislature, from the bill on the common charger in February 2024 to the interpellation on the state of the country's water bodies in April 2026. The Chamber debated the Upper Sûre dam and drinking water supply, falling groundwater levels, PFAS and their breakdown product TFA, ship recycling, the deadline for nature compensation measures, the Asian hornet, and the right to a healthy environment. The quotes below are taken verbatim from the Compte rendu officiel of each sitting.
\nOn 15 May 2024, in the debate on bill 8263 for the reinforcement works on the Upper Sûre dam, Emile Eicher stated the cost of the works and called it an investment.
\n\n\nDéi 98 Milliounen, déi mer mat dësem Projet de loi fir dëse Chantier guttheeschen, sinn eng wichteg Investitioun an ons Zukunft.
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The 98 million that we approve with this bill for this site are an important investment in our future.
\nSitting of 15 May 2024, Emile Eicher, CSV
\nOn 30 April 2026, in the interpellation on the state of the country's water bodies, Paul Galles argued that complexity, not lack of will, explains the slow progress.
\n\n\nEch mengen, dass de Problem elo net de feelende Wëllen ass, mee dass mir eis an engem Theema beweegen, dat gepräägt ass vun enger enormer Komplexitéit an och vu Laangfristegkeet vun der Erausfuerderung.
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I think the problem is not a lack of will, but that we are moving in a subject marked by enormous complexity and by the long-term nature of the challenge.
\nSitting of 30 April 2026, Paul Galles, CSV
\nOn 2 July 2024, during the question hour on falling groundwater levels and irrigation for farms, Gusty Graas stated that groundwater levels keep falling and that there is a water shortage.
\n\n\nGanz au contraire, wann een de Grondwaasserspigel aus deene leschte Joren observéiert, da mierkt een, datt dee leider ëmmer méi ofhëlt, soudatt mer e ganz seriöe Problem awer mam Grondwaasserspigel hunn, also och e Manko u Waasser.
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Quite the contrary: if you look at the groundwater level over the last years, you see that it unfortunately keeps falling, so we do have a very serious problem with the groundwater level, and so a lack of water.
\nSitting of 2 July 2024, Gusty Graas, DP
\nOn 30 April 2026, in the interpellation on the state of the country's water bodies, Gusty Graas warned against blaming agriculture alone for water pollution.
\n\n\nEch wëll awer och betounen, datt et falsch ass, pauschal ëmmer der Landwirtschaft eleng d’Schold ze ginn.
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But I also want to stress that it is wrong always to blame agriculture alone across the board.
\nSitting of 30 April 2026, Gusty Graas, DP
\nOn 1 April 2025, in the debate on the motion on the right to a healthy environment in the European Convention on Human Rights, Franz Fayot said the motion maybe does not go quite far enough, because the government could also be invited to write the right into national law.
\n\n\nSi geet eis souguer vläicht e bëssen nach net grad wäit genuch, well ech mengen, et kéint een och d’Regierung invitéieren, dat Recht an eis Legislatioun anzeschreiwen.
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It maybe does not even go quite far enough for us, because I think the government could also be invited to write that right into our legislation.
\nSitting of 1 April 2025, Franz Fayot, LSAP
\nOn 30 April 2026, in the interpellation on the state of the country's water bodies, Claire Delcourt stated figures on the fall in the share of surface waters in good condition.
\n\n\nWärend 2009 nach 7,8 % vun den Uewerflächegewässer an engem gudden Zoustand waren, ass dësen Undeel 2021 op 0 % gefall.
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While in 2009 7.8 % of surface waters were still in good condition, this share fell to 0 % in 2021.
\nSitting of 30 April 2026, Claire Delcourt, LSAP
\nOn 26 June 2025, in the debate on bill 8525 extending the deadline for nature compensation measures, Jeff Engelen cited a figure, given by the planning minister in 2013, for the land consumed each year in Luxembourg.
\n\n\nAll Joer gëtt zu Lëtzebuerg eng Fläch verbraucht, déi ronn 240 Foussballfelder entsprécht.
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Every year in Luxembourg an area equal to about 240 football pitches is used up.
\nSitting of 26 June 2025, Jeff Engelen, ADR
\nOn 30 April 2026, in the interpellation on the state of the country's water bodies, Michel Lemaire argued that water protection must be discussed together with spatial planning and growth policy.
\n\n\nAn do muss ee soen: Jo, grondsätzlech musse mer och de Gewässerschutz, wéi honnert aner Saachen, am Zesummenhang mat der Landesplanung, mat eiser Wuesstumspolitick diskutéieren.
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And there one must say: yes, in principle we must discuss water protection, like a hundred other things, together with spatial planning and with our growth policy.
\nSitting of 30 April 2026, Michel Lemaire, ADR
\nOn 15 May 2024, in the debate on bill 8263 for the reinforcement works on the Upper Sûre dam, Meris Sehovic said the bill shows the need for investments that make the country more resilient.
\n\n\nDëse Projet de loi ënnersträicht nach eng Kéier, wéi essenziell wichteg et ass, dass mer och Investitioune maachen, fir eist Land méi resilient ze maachen.
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This bill underlines once again how essential it is that we also make investments to make our country more resilient.
\nSitting of 15 May 2024, Meris Sehovic, déi gréng
\nOn 18 March 2025, in the debate on her motion on PFAS and TFA, Joëlle Welfring proposed that Luxembourg act nationally at the source of PFAS pollution instead of waiting for the EU.
\n\n\nDofir ass et wichteg, dass mir hei am Land och net op d’EU waarden, mee dass mir national geziilt agéieren an dass mir schnellstméiglech un der Quell vun de Problemer usetzen, fir d’Pollutioun an de Grëff ze kréien.
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That is why it is important that we in this country do not wait for the EU, but act in a targeted way nationally and start at the source of the problems as fast as possible, to get the pollution under control.
\nSitting of 18 March 2025, Joëlle Welfring, déi gréng
\nOn 30 April 2026, in her interpellation on the state of the country's water bodies, Joëlle Welfring stated the current state of surface and ground water.
\n\n\nAn trotz dësen Efforten ass haut kee vun eise Waasserleef an engem gudden Zoustand an och sinn d’Hallschent vun eise Grondwaasserkierperen an engem schlechten Zoustand.
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And despite these efforts, today none of our watercourses is in good condition and half of our groundwater bodies are in bad condition.
\nSitting of 30 April 2026, Joëlle Welfring, déi gréng
\nOn 15 May 2024, in the debate on bill 8263 for the reinforcement works on the Upper Sûre dam, Ben Polidori repeated his party's demand for a natural disaster fund.
\n\n\nZanter Jore froe mir schonn, dass d’Regierung endlech och e Fong fir Naturkatastrophen hei am Land soll opstellen.
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For years we have been asking that the government finally set up a fund for natural disasters in this country.
\nSitting of 15 May 2024, Ben Polidori, Piraten
\nOn 1 April 2025, in the debate on the motion on the right to a healthy environment in the European Convention on Human Rights, David Wagner stated that a right is worth little if it cannot be enforced in court.
\n\n\nE Recht ass prinzipiell wéineg wäert, wann et net aklobar ass.
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A right is in principle worth little if it cannot be enforced in court.
\nSitting of 1 April 2025, David Wagner, déi Lénk
\nOn 27 February 2024, in the debate on bill 8229 on the common charger for electronic devices, the Minister of the Economy stated the yearly amount of waste the directive avoids.
\n\n\nMat där Direktiv kann een an engem Joer ronn 11.000 Tonne Knascht verhënneren!
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With this directive about 11,000 tonnes of rubbish a year can be avoided!
\nSitting of 27 February 2024, Lex Delles, Ministre de l’Économie, des PME, de l’Énergie et du Tourisme
\nOn 30 April 2026, in the interpellation on the state of the country's water bodies, the Minister of the Environment stated that the 2027 target will not be met.
\n\n\nAn och effektiv, déi aktuell Deadline, déi mer anzehalen hunn, nämlech bis 2027, fir eis Baachen a Flëss an e gudden Zoustand ze bréngen, nee, déi wäerte mer net erreechen.
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And indeed the current deadline we have to meet, namely by 2027 to bring our streams and rivers into good condition, no, we will not meet it.
\nSitting of 30 April 2026, Serge Wilmes, Ministre de l’Environnement, du Climat et de la Biodiversité
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