New Ethics Rules Adopted for Ministers, Deputy Advisers

On Thursday 24 March 2022, Luxembourg Ministry of State announced that the government has adopted a new “Code of ethics for members of the Government” as well as a “Code of ethics for deputy advisers to the Government” whose rules are based on those applicable to ministers.

The adoption of these two Codes of Ethics for senior executive functions is part of the evaluation procedure of the GRECO (Groupe d'États contre la corruption), the anti-corruption body of the Council of Europe and aims to respond to the recommendations made by GRECO which affect the government and its advisers during the fifth round evaluation report "Prevention of corruption and promotion of integrity within central governments (top executive) and law enforcement agencies".

The new "Code of ethics for members of the Government", which takes up the substance of that of the amended Grand-Ducal decree of 14 November 2014, setting the ethical rules for members of the government and their duties and rights in the exercise of their functions, innovates with a whole series of new rules focused on raising awareness (integrity training), on strengthening reporting obligations before taking office, on the transparency of interviews with lobbyists and on the framework applicable to leaving office.

Finally, the role of the ethics committee is strengthened with regard to the control of the ethical rules imposed on ministers and deputy advisers to the government.