Just in time for the festive season, the Luxembourg government has endorsed a bill permitting shops to remain open longer throughout the week, weekends, and public holidays.

A week before Christmas, the government approved a bill to review the opening hours of shops in Luxembourg. The bill would enable shops to open later during the week, but also longer at weekends, including Sundays, and on public holidays. Finally tabled in parliament, bill no. 8472 also includes an article allowing retail outlets to open continuously.

The text proposed by Lex Delles, Minister for the Economy, describes the following: "Continuous opening for twenty-four hours is authorised and is limited to two times per calendar year".

While the planned opening times are subject to a collective agreement, this 24-hour continuous opening can be requested by the shop manager by simply notifying the Minister for Small and Medium-sized Businesses with one week's notice.

Note, however, that cinemas, restaurants and sports halls, among others, are explicitly excluded from the new law.

The unions are firmly opposed to this change, which is mentioned in the coalition agreement. While the government wishes to offer ‘flexibility and freedom to retailers to adapt to the needs of their customers’, the unions consider that "this extreme extension of opening hours and working hours constitutes a major social regression, since it will destroy any family or private life for the 50,000 employees concerned".

The law will come into force within six months of its publication in the Grand Duchy's Official Journal.