The Luxembourg government wants to accelerate housing production and streamline procedures for both municipalities and citizens. During a press briefing on Friday afternoon, Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden presented a major project: a national building code, intended to replace the 100 municipal regulations currently in use. This marks a "paradigm shift" for the country's construction sector, he said.
In practical terms, this single regulation aims to eliminate the patchwork of local rules that currently complicate construction projects. For citizens, this means clearer standards, fewer discrepancies between municipalities, and more predictable administrative procedures. For municipalities, it represents a harmonised framework that is simpler to implement and should reduce roadblocks caused by differing interpretations of regulations.
The stated principle Mei mat manner ("more with less") aims to build faster, with less bureaucracy. The emphasis is on quality of life, the integration of renewable energies, climate resilience, and greater legal certainty. It also includes concrete measures to adapt public spaces to heat waves, reducing urban heat islands and improving comfort in squares and urban areas.
This reform is part of the government package resulting from the 2023 national housing meeting, which aims to "build more and faster". It is accompanied by a simplification of the procedures for adopting general (PAG) and specific (PAP) development plans, a crucial point for municipalities and developers.
Wait times will be significantly reduced, as follows:
– from 12 months to 7 months for a PAG
– 8.5 months down to 6.5 months for a PAP
– up to 4 months for small-scale PAPs, thanks to a more streamlined procedure.
For citizens, this means that housing projects – whether public or private – should move forward more quickly, with less waiting between planning and authorisation. For municipalities, it promises faster processing of applications, a reduced administrative burden, and a greater capacity to meet local housing needs.
The government insists that this simplification is not an end in itself, but a means of reinvesting time and energy in urban planning and architectural quality. "Each measure is designed to allow for more and faster construction, while ensuring a high quality of life ," concluded Gloden.
