Getting help from SOLVIT Luxembourg to settle disputes with foreign administrations
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SOLVIT Luxembourg is part of an informal cooperation network that was set up in 2002. It covers all of the countries in the European Union (EU) plus the three countries of the European Economic Area (EEA), i.e., Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Its purpose is to facilitate the resolution of problems related to the improper application of EU law by public authorities.
SOLVIT Luxembourg helps private individuals resolve cross-border issues involving an administration of another Member State of the EU or the EEA (social security, taxes, labour law, residence permits, etc.).
SOLVIT Luxembourg is dedicated to finding amicable solutions to problems that are submitted to it.
Who is concerned
Any Luxembourg citizen who has a problem with an administration in another EU or EEA Member State may call upon the services of SOLVIT Luxembourg.
Prerequisites
To be considered for processing through the SOLVIT network, a complaint must satisfy several eligibility requirements:
- it must be a problem with a cross-border component;
- it must be related to the improper application of a law pertaining to the EU internal market;
- the entity that is the subject of the complaint must be a public administration of an EU Member State;
- an amicable resolution of the problem must still be possible (there must be no pending legal proceeding concerning the dispute).
How to proceed
Submitting a complaint to SOLVIT Luxembourg
Any Luxembourg citizen may submit their complaint:
- via the online complaint form (see 'Online services and forms');
- by telephone;
- by post;
- by email; or
- by fax.
The complaint must be accompanied by:
- a summary of the events that are considered in breach of EU Internal Market rules;
- supporting documents such as letters and disputed administrative decisions.
SOLVIT Luxembourg will check the admissibility of the complaint submitted by the Luxembourg citizen in respect of an administration of another EU or EEA Member State and will forward it, through an electronic database, along with a legal analysis, to the SOLVIT Centre in the country where the problem occurred (the SOLVIT 'lead centre').
Finding a solution
In general, the lead centre will confirm within one week whether it agrees with SOLVIT Luxembourg's analysis and whether it will accept the case or not. If the case is approved, the lead centre will undertake to solve the problem within a period of 10 weeks.
The SOLVIT procedure is a separate procedure whose purpose is to resolve disputes amicably. However, if an interested party wishes to reserve the right to pursue legal action in the country in which the disputed decision was issued, in case for example that the solution proposed by SOLVIT is not satisfactory or takes too long, it is important for the applicant to observe the official time limits for taking legal action in the country in question (the legal time limits maybe longer or shorter depending on the State). Indeed, the SOLVENT procedure has no impact on the time limits for taking legal action.
However, if the lead centre is unable to find a solution to the problem or if the proposed solution is unacceptable to the plaintiff, the latter can pursue legal action by lodging a formal appeal under the national rules of the Member State that issued the decision under dispute.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
-
SOLVIT Luxembourg
- Address:
- 19-21, boulevard Royal L-2914 Luxembourg Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 247 88 400
- Fax:
- (+352) 22 16 07
- Email address:
- solvit@eco.etat.lu
- Website:
- https://solvit.public.lu/en.html
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
-
The network SOLVIT
on the website of the European Commission
-
SOLVIT Luxembourg
Website
