Credit: MAEE
On Monday 30 May 2022, Luxembourg's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs published the fifteenth edition of the annual report devoted to Luxembourg's European policy providing a summary of the European issues for the year 2021 which are of particular importance for Luxembourg.
The report deals with the main files managed by the various formations of the Council, coordination at national level, and the implementation of European Union (EU) law.
The report traces in particular how in 2021, after the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU regained control of the situation, with the rapid and joint deployment of a common vaccination strategy, better management of the situation at the borders and a maintenance of free movement thanks in particular to the implementation of the digital COVID-19 certificate of the EU. The economic upheaval that marked the start of the pandemic has led to unprecedented advances, such as the NextGenerationEU instrument. These funds also benefit Luxembourg, which in 2021 received the green light for its national recovery and resilience plan to the tune of €93 million, in addition to the envelope of nearly €140 million granted in the framework of the ReactEU initiative. With these funds, Luxembourg co-financed the second phase of Large Scale Testing, the partial unemployment scheme, as well as the vaccination campaign.
In 2021, Luxembourg continued to commit to the ecological emergency. The Fit for 55 package is now on the job, marking the start of the Green Deal implementation process.
While it is necessary to further deepen the single market and promote its resilience, at the international level Luxembourg intends to ensure the establishment of solid value chains with trusted partners. In terms of competitiveness, work on foreign subsidies will also make it possible to eliminate distortions of competition within the single market.
Finally, when it was necessary to deal with the multiple effects of the crisis, the Conference on the future of Europe was launched on the occasion of Europe Day, to better listen to citizens and focus on subjects that interest them in daily life.
The preparation of the report on European policy falls within the framework of the memorandum concluded between the Chamber of Deputies and the government on cooperation in the field of European policy.
The 86 page full report is available online via: https://gouvernement.lu/dam-assets/documents/actualites/2022/05-mai/30-rapport-politique-eu/20220530-rapport-sur-la-politique-europeenne-2021.pdf.
