Filing an administrative complaint with the Environment Agency
Last update
The Control and Inspection Unit (Unité contrôles et inspections) of the Environment Agency (Administration de l’environnement) is responsible for the management and handling of complaints in the areas for which the Environment Agency is responsible, such as:
- noise control;
- the prevention of air pollution;
- waste management;
- classified establishments;
- the marketing and/or use of chemical substances and mixtures;
- biocidal products.
Who is concerned
Any person, whether physical or moral, who experiences a nuisance or inconvenience:
- arising from an activity carried out by a third party, or an establishment operated by a third party;
- within the scope of one or more of the areas which the Environment Agency is empowered to control.
Complaints concerning water management and protection as well as environmental protection should be addressed to:
- the Water Management Agency (Administration de la gestion de l'eau) for administrative complaints relating to water management and protection (e.g. pollution of a waterway);
- to the Nature and Forest Agency (Administration de la nature et des forêts) for administrative complaints regarding the protection of nature (for example, the felling or destruction of one or more trees bordering a road or a path, or the establishment of a materials depot in a green zone).
Prerequisites
The complaint must relate to one of the following:
- olfactory nuisances;
- nuisances due to the discharge of gaseous effluents (fumes) into the atmosphere;
- soil pollution;
- nuisances due to vibrations;
- spills or runoff of substances/liquids;
- noise;
- illegal waste management;
- illegal marketing and/or use of chemical substances and mixtures, and/or biocides;
- other.
How to proceed
Submission of the complaint
Identification of the complainant
Complainants must identify themselves by indicating, inter alia:
- their title;
- their name and surname or, where applicable, the name of their company;
- their address;
- their phone number (landline and/or mobile);
- their email address (if applicable).
Please note that the Environment Agency (AEV) does not accept anonymous complaints. It also reserves the right to carry out a verification of the complainant's identity.
Identification of the establishment/person charged
The complainant must also identify the establishment or person who are the subject of complaint and indicate, in particular:
- their name and surname or, where applicable, the name of the company;
- their address;
- their location (urban area, industrial zone, activity zone, green
zone, etc.); - a topographic map indicating the site to which the complaint refers to (to be joined insofar possible);
- the GPS/LUREF coordinates of the site (to be provided if possible).
Complaint details
The complainant then indicates the nature of the complaint and details:
- its subject (odours, air or soil pollution, vibration, spillage or flow of liquid substances, etc.);
- the origin of the complaint (building, specific installation, etc.);
- the inconvenience caused (type of odour, noise, waste, etc.);
- the frequency of nuisances (permanent or one-off), the start date, the time(s) of the year or the day, etc.
The complainant may attach any other material that allows him to better document his complaint.
Complainants can send their complaint to the AEV by post, email or deliver it in person.
Details of other stakeholders contacted prior to the complaint
Complainants then need to indicate any prior initiatives taken, such as:
- whether or not they have contacted the company or the person concerned by the complaint;
- whether or not they have contacted another competent authority or other authorities, including details of the contact.
Conclusion
Complainants need to specify whether they wish to be informed of the results of the investigations and the measures taken by the administration.
Submission of disputes
Once the complaint has been received, the Environmental Agency (AEV) sends an acknowledgment of receipt with the number under which the complaint has been registered to the complainant by post or email.
After reviewing the complaint, the AEV:
- checks up on the offending establishment and continues its investigation;
- if necessary, the administrative complaint is forwarded to the competent authority.
If the claimant has expressed a wish to be informed of the results of the investigations and the measures taken by the administration, the administration will inform them by post or email.
Penalties for slanderous or defamatory accusations and denunciations
A penalty of imprisonment of 15 days to 6 months and a fine of EUR 251 to 10,000 will be applied to whoever:
- produces, in writing, a libellous or defamatory statement to the authorities;
- addresses, in writing, to a person any libellous or defamatory accusations against a subordinate of said person.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
-
Environment Agency Supervision and inspections unit
- Address:
- 1, avenue du Rock’n’roll L-4361 Esch-sur-Alzette Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 405656 655
- Email address:
- inspections@aev.etat.lu
- Website:
- http://www.emwelt.lu
Open ⋅ 7.30 - 12.00 , 12.30 - 16.00
- Thursday:
- 7.30 to 12.00 , 12.30 to 16.00
- Friday:
- 7.30 to 12.00 , 12.30 to 16.00
- Saturday:
- Closed
- Sunday:
- Closed
- Monday:
- 7.30 to 12.00 , 12.30 to 16.00
- Tuesday:
- 7.30 to 12.00 , 12.30 to 16.00
- Wednesday:
- 7.30 to 12.00 , 12.30 to 16.00
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
le portail de l'environnement
Legal references
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Loi modifiée du 9 mai 2014
a) relative aux émissions industrielles b) modifiant la loi modifiée du 10 juin 1999 relative aux établissements classés c) modifiant la loi modifiée du 20 avril 2009 relative à la responsabilité environnementale en ce qui concerne la prévention et la réparation des dommages environnementaux
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Loi modifiée du 21 mars 2012
relative à la gestion des déchets
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Loi modifiée du 21 juin 1976
relative à la lutte contre la pollution de l'atmosphère
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Loi modifiée du 21 juin 1976
relative à la lutte contre le bruit
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Loi modifiée du 10 juin 1999
relative aux établissements classés
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Loi du 26 novembre 2008
concernant la gestion des déchets de l'industrie extractive
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Loi modifiée du 21 mars 2017
relative aux emballages et aux déchets d'emballages
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Loi du 31 août 2016
concernant les taxes à percevoir sur les documents de notification des transferts de déchets nationaux et internationaux
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Texte coordonné de la loi modifiée du 19 décembre 2008
relative aux piles et accumulateurs ainsi qu'aux déchets de piles et d'accumulateurs
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Loi du 16 décembre 2011
concernant l'enregistrement, l'évaluation et l'autorisation des substances chimiques ainsi que la classification, l'étiquetage et l'emballage des substances et mélanges chimiques
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Loi modifiée du 4 septembre 2015
a) concernant certaines modalités d'application et les sanctions du règlement (UE) n° 528/2012 du Parlement européen et du Conseil du 22 mai 2012 concernant la mise à disposition sur le marché et l'utilisation des produits biocides; b) relative à l'enregistrement de fabricants et de vendeurs; c) abrogeant la loi modifiée du 24 décembre 2002 relative aux produits biocides
