Professional chambers

There are five professional chambers in Luxembourg:

• Chamber of Employees (formed by a merger between the Chambre des employés privés and the Chambre du travail on 1 January 2009),
• Chamber of Civil Servants and Public Employees,
• Chamber of Agriculture,
• Chamber of Commerce,
• Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts.

The professional chambers are created by the legislator, as they are not provided for in the Constitution. Their main task is to safeguard and defend the interests of the professional groups they represent, by making their opinions known to the public authorities.

The government must seek the advice of the professional chambers whenever new laws or grand ducal regulations are being prepared, which concern one or more sectors which these chambers represent. This situation is specific to Luxembourg.

Professional chambers have the right to submit proposals to the government on matters for which they are competent. After examining these proposals, the government can forward them to Parliament.

Any person who practices a profession falling within the competence of one of the professional chambers is inevitably affiliated to this chamber. The composition of the professional chambers is determined by elections within each socio-professional group represented. Each member, whether a Luxembourger or foreign national, may exercise an active and passive right to vote. A professional chamber is a self-governing body.