On Thursday 17 July 2025, following the national housing meeting (Logementsdësch), Luxembourg's Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Serge Wilmes, and Minister for Home Affairs, Léon Gloden, announced the submission of a bill to create a new secondary green zone ("zone verte bis") that can be designated by municipalities in their general development plans (PAG).
According to the two ministries, existing buildings located in green zones, often referred to as "disconnected clusters" (îlots déconnectés) which do not form a locality or hamlet, currently cannot benefit from zoning in the PAG that would allow for their adequate development. The new bill aims to introduce a substantially simplified regulatory framework, tailored to the needs of the owners of such buildings, while ensuring a high level of nature protection.
Only buildings that have existed for at least 20 years will be eligible under the new scheme. No new housing units may be created, except for those integrated into single-family homes. However, moderate-scale works such as building extensions, the construction of annexes or the repurposing of existing buildings will be permitted, in line with the regulatory provisions set out in the PAG for the specific secondary green zone.
Such buildings will no longer be subject to the requirements for green zones under the amended law of 18 July 2018 concerning the protection of nature and natural resources. According to the ministries, this will simplify the procedures for owners wishing to carry out work. Any works carried out on these buildings will be authorised by the mayor of the municipality concerned through the issuance of a building permit.
