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Financial aid to improve the natural environment

Last update 13.08.2021

In order to protect nature and natural resources, the Ministry of the Environment (Ministère de l'Environnement) provides financial support to encourage the implementation of projects whose purpose is to:

preserve biodiversity;
manage protected areas;
ensure coherence across the network of protected areas;
provide ecosystem services;
conserve habitats, or wild animal and plant species;
conserve the character and beauty of the landscape, countryside and forests.

This aid is granted in the form of subsidies.

This type of aid concerns:

fund managers, owners and operators;
communes, associations of communes, and approved associations.

The application must be submitted before the work to be subsidised commences.

Filing an application

All applications for subsidies (except for applications regarding man-made works and structures) must be for a subsidy amount of at least EUR 250.

Applicants must first contact their district to prepare their application in consultation with the agent responsible for these matters.

North:
27, rue du Château, L- 9516 Wiltz
Phone: (+352) 247-56556
Fax: (+352) 247-56559

Centre-East:
81, avenue de la Gare, L-9233 Diekirch
B.P. 30 L-9201 Diekirch
Phone: (+352) 247-56757
Fax: (+352) 247-56759

Centre-West:
1, rue du Village, L-7473 Schoenfels
Phone: (+352) 247-56704
Fax: (+352) 247-56699

East:
6, rue de la Gare, L- 6731 Grevenmacher
B.P. 6701 Grevenmacher
Phone: (+352) 247-56675
Fax: (+352) 247-56681

South:
40, rue de la Gare, L-3377 Leudelange
B.P. 10 L-3205 Leudelange
Phone: (+352) 247-56785
Fax: (+352) 247-56780

The applicant and district agent must fill out the appropriate form together, before work commences.

Supporting documents

The application must be accompanied by the following:

a cadastral map (extract from the land register); and
an extract from the topographical map indicating the land where the work is to be carried out; and
if necessary, a copy of the price quotation for the work.

Any expenses incurred as part of financial aid must be justified based on accounting records.

Decision

Applications are approved by the minister (or the minister's representative), who may be assisted by experts.

Amount of aid

Payroll expenses

To determine the amount of State aid, payroll expenses may not exceed the customary rates for the remuneration of contracted labour.

The lists of species specifically concerned by the financial aid and mentioned below may be found in the relevant Grand Ducal regulation.

Fund managers, owners and operators

For man-made works and structures, fund managers, owners and operators may be allocated aid in the amount of:

50 % to 90 % of the cost of the work to create or develop rest, reproduction and hibernation areas for certain species.

When the work is carried out in a green zone, fund managers, owners and operators may be allocated aid in the amount of:

EUR 2 per seedling planted to create hedges, groves, windbreaks, forest edges and gallery forests. A EUR 2 supplement is allocated per seedling certified as coming from seeds collected in Luxembourg in natural indigenous populations;
EUR 40 per tree, for certain species only, namely: woody species or standard fruit trees;
EUR 8 per metre to install enclosures to protect certain plantations from damage caused by cattle or game, or serving as herbaceous borders;
EUR 35 per tree to install light individual protection; or
EUR 60 per tree to install heavy individual protection against damage caused by cattle for certain types of trees. Variations of this heavy protection mechanism may be determined by mutual agreement with the nature and forest officer when the application is processed;
50 % of the cost of the work to create, protect, restore or maintain protected biotopes and natural or semi-natural habitats. A supplement of 10 % of the cost of the work is allocated for:
- sowing with seeds collected in Luxembourg in natural indigenous populations; or
- the use of plants or seeds certified as being propagated from seeds collected in Luxembourg in natural indigenous populations.

If the work is carried out or the structures are placed in a green zone and are part of the implementation of a protected area management plan or 'Species' or 'Habitats' action plans as defined in the National plan for the protection of nature, the financial aid covers 100 % of the expenses.

Communes, associations of communes and approved associations

Communes, associations of communes and approved associations may be allocated aid in the amount of:

50 % to 90 % (outside the green zone) and 50 % (inside the green zone) of the cost of the work to create or develop rest, reproduction and hibernation areas for certain species;
50 % of the cost of the design, negotiation and supervision work, provided that the amount does not exceed 20 % of the cost of the actual work;
50 % (inside and outside the green zone) of the cost to create, protect, restore or maintain protected biotopes, habitats of protected species and natural or semi-natural habitats. A supplement of 10 % of the cost of the work is allocated for:
- sowing with seeds collected in Luxembourg in natural indigenous populations; or
- the use of plants or seeds certified as being propagated from seeds collected in Luxembourg in natural indigenous populations.

If the work or structures:

is carried out or placed in a green zone and are part of the implementation of 'Species' or 'Habitats' action plans as defined in the national plan for the protection of nature: the financial aid covers 75 % of the expenses, or 85 % if the 10 % supplement applies;
concern a protected area management plan: the financial aid covers up to 90 % of the expenses, or 100 % if the 10 % supplement applies.

Specific trees

Financial aid is granted covering 50 % of the cost of maintaining or restoring single trees that are considered important owing to their diameter or function as landscape structures, wildlife corridors or species habitats.

This financial aid covers 75 % of the expenses if the tree is an arbre remarquable (veteran tree) classified as such by the relevant legislation.

Payment of financial aid

The subsidies are paid:

after the end of the work; and
after an inspection to ascertain that it has been properly executed, as noted in an acceptance report.

Sanctions

The subsidies must be repaid to the State if it is found that the beneficiary did not comply with the terms based on which these subsidies were granted.

Appeals

If their application is denied, or if they are required to repay any aid received, the applicant may appeal the administrative decision by the usual means of appeal (non-contentious appeal, legal appeal), provided they observe the legal limitation periods.

It is also possible to lodge an appeal with the Ombudsman.

Good to know

The subsidies are granted for work and plantings approved on or after 30 September 2019.

Nature and Forest Agency

Nature and Forest Agency

Address:

81, avenue de la Gare L-9233 Diekirch Luxembourg

Phone:

(+352) 24756 - 600

Fax:

(+352) 24756 - 651

Email address:

anf.direction@anf.etat.lu

Website:

http://www.environnement.public.lu/
Centre-East district

Address:

81, avenue de la Gare L-9233 Diekirch Luxembourg
B.P. 30 L-9201 Diekirch

Phone:

(+352) 24 756-757

Fax:

(+352) 24 756-759

Email address:

anf.centre-est@anf.etat.lu
Centre-West district

Address:

1, rue du Village L-7473 Schoenfels Luxembourg

Phone:

(+352) 24 756-704

Fax:

(+352) 24 756-699

Email address:

anf.centre-ouest@anf.etat.lu
East district

Address:

6, rue de la Gare L-6731 Grevenmacher Luxembourg
B.P. 42 L-6701 Grevenmacher

Phone:

(+352) 24 756-675

Fax:

(+352) 24 756-681

Email address:

anf.est@anf.etat.lu
North district

Address:

27, rue du Château L-9516 Wiltz Luxembourg
B.P. 50 L-9501 Wiltz

Phone:

(+352) 95 81 64-1

Fax:

(+352) 95 00 69

Email address:

anf.nord@anf.etat.lu
South district

Address:

40, rue de la Gare L-3377 Leudelange Luxembourg
B.P. 10 L-3205 Leudelange

Phone:

(+352) 45 80 83-1

Fax:

(+352) 45 80 83 83

Email address:

anf.sud@anf.etat.lu
Permit Department

Address:

3, rue Neihaischen L-2633 Senningerberg Luxembourg

Phone:

(+352) 247 56888

Email address:

service.autorisations@anf.etat.lu

2 of 7 bodies shown

Procedures

Forestry Challenging administrative decisions Ombudsman - Settling a dispute with a Luxembourg administration amicably

Links

Legal references

Loi modifiée du 18 juillet 2018
concernant la protection de la nature et des ressources naturelles
Règlement grand-ducal du 30 septembre 2019
concernant les aides pour l’amélioration de l’environnement naturel

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