Government plan

Objectives of the Emergency Response Plan

This Emergency Response Plan defines the actions that the Government should take in the event of a significant disruption to oil supplies in the Grand Duchy. It applies to any event which, by its nature or effects, threatens the vital interests or essential needs of all or part of the country or population, which requires that urgent decisions be made and that the actions of the Government and agencies, departments and bodies connected with the public authorities be coordinated at the national level, and at the international level if necessary.

The Emergency Response Plan:

• determines the bodies that will manage the crisis;
  
• sets out the process for raising the alarm for the authorities and providing information to the public;
• defines the emergency measures, associated actions and the respective stakeholders and figures in charge.

The emergency measures are taken in particular pursuant to Article 40 of the Law of 10 February 2015 relating to the organisation of the market in petroleum products, as amended (hereinafter “the Law”) and during their implementation the ministries, agencies and departments of the State are assisted by the operators and owners of the infrastructures linked to the oil supply chain.

General points

An emergency situation is defined as a situation where there is a significant disruption in the supply of oil which is detrimental to the vital interests or essential needs of all or part of the country or the population of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The situations in which emergency measures may be triggered are as follows:

• A disruption or sharp reduction in the supply of petroleum products of any possible origin, such as international economic or political tensions;
  
• Local or regional disruptions to the petroleum product supply chain due to any cause, such as natural disasters, major industrial accidents, or civil unrest;
• An exceptional increase in demand for petroleum products, for example following a disruption in natural gas or electricity supplies;
• The participation of Luxembourg in collective action led by the European Union or the International Energy Agency, or in coordinated action at regional level.

Given the wide range of potential incidents and their varied impacts and repercussions, this Plan provides those in charge of executing it with the tools they need to be able to react in an appropriate and flexible manner to the events and to provide the best possible protection for the citizens or sectors affected, their vital interests and the nation’s economy, at the same time distinguishing between problems of a quantitative and qualitative nature.

Implementation of the Plan is the responsibility of the Prime Minister and the minister responsible for energy.