As part of the alert and information system for the population, the Luxembourg government has been carrying out regular tests since May 2022, which it is now planning to no longer announce in advance.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of State and the High Commission for National Protection (HCPN) noted that, every first Monday of the month, the government carries out a national warning system test via a zonal alert SMS and a national test message on the GouvAlert mobile application.
On Monday 5 June 2023, the National Warning System Tests and the GouvAlert national test message are scheduled to take place as usual.
However, with the aim of having a high-performance, effective and efficient alert system at all times, the tests of the zonal SMS system will no longer be announced in advance.
According to the authorities, this will put mobile network operators in a real situation in the case of an event requiring the imminent and spontaneous alert of the population.
The authorities noted that no personal data will be collected or stored by the State as part of the public alert system tests. Moreover, in order to ensure that real and test alert messages are distinguishable, the message "No action required / Aucune action requise / Keine Handlung erforderlich" will only be mentioned in the test messages.
According to the government, a certain delay may elapse between the sending and the reception of the test text message, which explains why not all citizens will receive the test message at the same time.
The tests’ objective is reported to be the functionality assessment of the different alert channels, the identification of any potential points for improvement and, above all, raising citizens’ awareness about the different alert channels usage. The test strategy is scheduled to take place in the long term, on a regular basis. This initiative aims to ensure the population’s resilience in the face of emergency or crisis situations which could have an impact on civil security.
Additional information and frequently asked questions are available on the website: gouvernement.lu/en/dossiers.gouv_mint%2Ben%2Bdossiers%2B2022%2Blu-alert.html.
