New establishments in the agricultural sector are subject to conditions governing their setup and operation.

Who is concerned

The following information applies to anyone wishing to install a beehive in built-up areas in Luxembourg.

Prerequisites

General terms and conditions

In order to operate a beehive, the following conditions must be complied with:

• the hive must be constructed and maintained in keeping with generally accepted beekeeping practices;
• the installation must not leak liquid waste, wash water from plant protection product sprayers, or any other liquid pollutant, be it directly or indirectly:
  • onto the public ways;
  • into a waterway;
  • into the groundwater;
  • into a public wastewater drainage system; or
  • into the surrounding environment.

Such fluids must be discharged into a manure/slurry tank.

• a public water distribution system must be installed (water drawn from private sources or bore sites is not considered drinkable). Steps must be taken to ensure that the water used does not come into contact with drinking water, or contaminate the public distribution network;
• insofar as possible, the operator must take any necessary steps to prevent the emission of foul odours;
• the establishment and the surroundings under the operator's responsibility must be kept clean;
• the hive must be constructed, equipped and operated so that its operation does not cause noise or vibrations that are likely to be a nuisance;
• the engine of a stationary vehicle should never be left running for long periods of time, even to warm it up or warm the cabin of the vehicle;
• prior authorisation must be obtained for any construction situated outside urban areas.

Specific terms and conditions applicable to beehives

• all appropriate measures must be taken to avoid causing an abnormal nuisance in the immediate vicinity: positioning of the hive openings, green screens, and so on;
• the hives must be installed in such a way that neighbours are not inconvenienced, and at a distance of at least 10 metres from the boundary of any neighbour's territory;
• the hives must be placed in such way that the direction of flight of bees leaving the hive leads away from any inhabited dwellings;
• the bees' approach route must be diverted by a hedgerow or fence at least 2 metres in height to prevent the bees from continuing on their trajectory towards the inhabited dwellings;
• transhumant hives and stationary hives installed outside of urban areas must bear signage showing the owner's name, telephone number and address;
• the beekeeper must have civil liability insurance.

Deadlines

Newly created operational establishments must be declared to the Environment Agency (Administration de l’Environnement) before commencing operations.

How to proceed

Submitting an application

Applications must be submitted to the Environment Agency on a specific form provided for that purpose.

In filing their declaration, the operator must specify:

• their surname and first name(s);
• their address;
• their occupation;
• their telephone number.
  

They must also provide the following information:

• the name of the establishment;
• its capacity;
• its dimensions;
• its location.

Attachments

Applications must be accompanied by:

• a recent cadastral map (extract from the land register) on a 1:2500 scale, indicating the establishment(s) in question;
• a topographical map on a 1:10,000 or 1:20,000 scale on which the position is marked.

Forms / Online services

Who to contact