Mouvement Ecologique Objects to Removal of 400 Trees from Protection List

On Monday 24 June 2024, the Luxembourg environmental non-profit organisation Mouvement Ecologique asbl announced it filed a formal objection to the recent revision of the Grand Duchy's official list of protected trees; the list previously included 535 "remarkable trees," and had been reduced to just 100, resulting in the "downgrading" of 400 trees.

According to the organisation, a public procedure for the preliminary draft of a regulation for the “arbres remarquables” (remarkable trees) was recently held. The aim was to grant special protection status and financial support for trees with unique characteristics, such as special growth forms, diameters, ages, types, or connections to historical events or personalities.

The Nature and Forest Agency, subordinate to Luxembourg’s Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, is responsible for drawing up the list. Mouvement Ecologique drew attention to the existence of a letter from the forestry administration instructing foresters to suggest only two to three trees each, resulting in a selection based on a blanket quantity limit rather than purely technical criteria.

Mouvement Ecologique noted it finds this approach “completely unacceptable,” especially given the current biodiversity and climate crises and the significant age and importance of these trees. The organisation argued that the photos of the trees that have lost their protection status clearly show other reasons for their removal from the list, stating that these trees should never have been excluded.

Owners of a "remarkable tree" benefit from a reimbursement of up to 75% of the costs of care and maintenance measures, compared to 50% without the special status. Mouvement Ecologique underscored the importance of private contributions to urban greening and deplored the loss of this support measure, stressing that an extension of the list would have been expected and necessary.

The organisation has filed a formal objection to this approach and is calling on the ministry to revise the list and renew the procedure.