This will change in Luxembourg and neighboring countries from April

In Luxemburg

From April 1st, the flight service operated by Luxair between Luxembourg-Findel Airport and Manchester Airport will resume. This connection already existed before the Corona crisis. The resumption of scheduled flights was announced last summer. There are three flights per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

With Luxair, travelers can now fly from Findel to Manchester again. Photo: Archives LW/Gerry Huberty

In Dudelange, the local government has decided to take tougher action against administrative offenses. The municipality will deploy more staff to punish violations. From Monday, April 1st, municipal workers and park rangers in the city of Dudelange can punish 17 new administrative offenses. Not cleaning up dog waste, mowing the lawn outside of permitted times, or setting up a café terrace outside the designated area are just a few of them. Depending on the offense, the fines range between 25 and 250 euros.

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Something is happening at the top of the Luxembourg Automobile Club (ACL): the new director Miriam Eisenmenger will officially succeed Jean-Claude Juchem on April 1st. However, this will remain with the ACL until the end of 2024 to make the transition easier. Barbara Chevalier takes up her position as General Director for Freight Transport in the CFL Group. Tom De Block takes over as head of Google Belgium and Luxembourg. Occurs on April 23rd Georges Rassel the succession of Michèle Detaille as president of the Fédération Luxembourgeoise de l’Industrie (Fedil).

While some Chamber meetings are already public and broadcast live, this has not yet been the case with the committees. However, from mid-April, the meetings of five commissions will also be broadcast live on the Parliament’s website. These are the committees for agriculture, nutrition and viticulture, housing and spatial planning, environment, climate and biodiversity, education, children and youth as well as media and communication.

Heating oil: Developments in Belgium have consequences for Luxembourg

Since April 1st, conventional heating oil (50 ppm) has no longer been allowed to be sold to consumers in Belgium because the sulfur content is considered too high. They now have to switch to heating oil (10 ppm), which is less environmentally harmful but slightly more expensive. The Belgian Association of Fuel Dealers estimates that an order of 2,000 liters of this new heating oil will cost almost 40 euros more. The change also has an impact on Luxembourg, as a large part of the heating oil sold in Luxembourg comes from neighboring Belgium.

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Type 50 ppm heating oil is no longer allowed to be sold in Belgium. This also has an impact on consumers in the Grand Duchy. Photo: LW-Archiv/Lex Kleren

In Belgium

The minimum wage in Belgium will rise from April 1st and will be above the 2,000 euro gross mark for the first time. Social tariffs for energy, which provide discounts to the most disadvantaged population groups, will be reduced: by just over 22 percent for electricity and by just over 19 percent for natural gas.

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There is new support for people who become unemployed for health reasons. You can now apply for up to 1,800 euros to receive personal support. This is intended to help them get back on their feet and prepare for their future professional careers. The measure is financed from the “Retour au travail” fund. In the event of a layoff due to illness, employers must pay 1,800 euros into this fund.

In France

From April 1st, it is no longer necessary to display the certificate of insurance on the windshield of the vehicle. During checks, the police can connect to the database of insured vehicles and find out immediately whether everything is in order or not. The green sticker is being abolished in order to save money (estimated at 60 million euros per year) and to protect the environment (less paper). It is also intended to combat fraud.

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From April 15th, technical inspections for two-wheelers will be mandatory. The check initially applies to vehicles registered before January 1, 2017. It will gradually be expanded to cover the entire fleet of two-wheelers in France. The technical inspection is valid for three years. Many bikers in France, especially the “Fédération des motards en colère”, are against this innovation. In Luxembourg, this obligation has existed since the 1950s.

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The amounts for social assistance will increase on April 1st. The increase is 4.6 percent for the income from active solidarity (RSA), the allowance for adults with disabilities (AAH), the education allowance for children with disabilities (AEEH) or the activity bonus, a wage supplement that applies to employees with low incomes.

In Germany

In order to curb the rise in energy prices on consumer bills, a provisional VAT rate of 7 percent has been in effect since October 1, 2022. This measure ended on March 31st, so that the original rate of 19 percent applies again to gas and district heating.

In Germany it is now possible to grow up to three cannabis plants in your own home. Foto: Shutterstock

Following the example of Luxembourg, which took the step a few months ago, Germany has also decided to legalize the private consumption of cannabis from April 1, 2024. Up to three plants can then be grown at home and 25 grams can be possessed in public. However, the consumption of cannabis remains prohibited within 100 meters of a school or in certain pedestrian zones. Additionally, the harvest is personal and may not be shared.

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The income limit for parental allowance changes for births from April 1st. Parents who stay at home after the birth of a child are entitled to parental allowance up to a taxable annual income of 200,000 euros. This limit is also planned for single parents. If both parents stay at home at the same time, it is only possible to receive the so-called basic parental allowance at the same time for a maximum of one month and within the child’s first twelve months.

Amazon shortens the return period for certain products from 30 days to the legal minimum of 14 days. The rule takes effect from April 25th. Cameras, computers, other electronic devices and video games are among those affected.

At the beginning of the summer semester, students at many universities receive a discounted Germany ticket for 29.40 euros per month and can use buses and trains nationwide. However, some universities are not yet participating or not participating at all – for example where the current semester ticket is cheaper.

The accommodation platform Airbnb completely bans hosts from setting up security cameras indoors. From April 30th, only outdoor cameras, such as those in doorbells, will be permitted. Previously, they were allowed in shared rooms such as living rooms or hallways.

This article first appeared at Comma. Translation and revision: Marvin Schieben. With material from dpa.