• Luxembourg makes all public transport free
• Luxembourg is first country to make all public transport free
• Minister plans to quadruple organic farming in Luxembourg

• Luxembourg: New book, website spark increasing interest in Transcendental Meditation

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Positive Trends
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Luxembourg makes all public transport free
2 March 2020 - With a population of 602,000, Luxembourg is one of Europe's smallest countries -- yet it suffers from major traffic jams. But that could be about to change. As of March 1, 2020 all public transport -- trains, trams, and buses -- in the country is now free. The government hopes the move will alleviate heavy congestion and bring environmental benefits, according to Dany Frank, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works. (more)

Luxembourg is first country to make all public transport free
28 February 2020 - Luxembourg is to become the first country to offer a free public transport system, as the government tries to reduce particularly dense car traffic. Some cities have taken similar partial measures but the transport ministry said it was the only time such a decision had encompassed an entire country. (more)

Minister plans to quadruple organic farming in Luxembourg
11 February 2019 - Luxembourg's Minister of Agriculture, Romain Schneider, wants to quadruple the amount of land in Luxembourg, devoted to organic farming over the next seven years. Schneider says that the target by 2025, for organic farming, should increase from 4.6 percent now to 20 percent. (more)

Luxembourg makes all public transport free
15 January 2019 - With a population of 602,000, Luxembourg is one of Europe's smallest countries -- yet it suffers from major traffic jams. But that could be about to change. Last month, it announced plans to make all public transport -- trains, trams and buses -- free from March 2020. The government hopes the move will alleviate heavy congestion and bring environmental benefits ... (more)

Luxembourg will become the first country to offer free mass transit
6 December 2018 - The country is small, with a population of about 560,000, but more than 180,000 workers commute across the borders from Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg also has the highest number of cars for its population in the European Union: 662 per 1,000 people. This can mean big traffic problems. Free mass transit will be available from the beginning of 2020, said Dany Frank, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Mobility. (more)

Organic producers in Luxembourg
9 May 2018 - Luxembourg had some 132 organic producers whose operations covered some 54,000 square metres in 2017, official figures published by the agricultural ministry on Tuesday (8 May) have revealed. ... In previous years, Luxembourg has taken several steps to promote organic farming, including the creation of a network of nine demonstration farms to promote organic farming, organizing information meetings, and the creation of the organic farming prize. (more)

Luxembourg royals wed in religious ceremony, wrapping up two-day nuptials
20 October 2012 - Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg and Belgian Countess Stephanie de Lannoy emerged smiling Saturday from the tiny duchy's Notre Dame Cathedral after wrapping up a two-day wedding gala with a religious ceremony. With a celebratory fireworks show still to come, onlookers and well-wishers lined the streets near the cathedral and roared with joy as the newlyweds looked down from a place balcony. The church wedding drew top-drawer guest list of royalty from around the globe. The tiny trilingual country wedged between France, Belgium, and Germany is an important financial centre and continues to prosper despite Europe's economic trouble. It is home to the world's largest steel manufacturer and boasts the second-highest gross domestic product per capita in the world, more than $80,000. (more)

Royal wedding gives Luxembourg turn in spotlight
18 October 2012 - The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg doesn't get a lot of turns in the spotlight, although the tiny country has the second-highest gross domestic product per capita in the world. But this week is Luxembourg's turn to shine. Prince Guillaume, the heir to the throne, will marry Belgian Countess Stephanie de Lannoy. A glittering array of European royalty has been invited. The guest list for the religious ceremony on Saturday includes Kings, Queens, Princes, and Princesses from European countries including, among others, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Lichtenstein, Denmark, the Netherlands, Romania, and Britain. Non-European royalty will be attending, as well, from Morocco, Japan, Jordan, and elsewhere. (more)

Luxembourg: Renewables fund aims to attract pension capital
13 September 2012 - A new 500 million euro ($645.4 million) renewables fund aims to attract capital from pension and sovereign wealth funds through a low-risk, long-term investment strategy which would give higher returns than government bonds, one of its founders said. The Real Asset Energy Fund (RAEF), managed by Solar Investment Group [registered in Luxembourg], plans to start investing in renewable power plants which are already in operation, mainly in the wind and solar sectors, from the first quarter of next year. The fund aims to meet the needs of institutional investors like pension funds, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds which are risk-averse and want stable, long-term returns. (more)

Eurostat lists gross domestic product per capita with Luxembourg and Ireland at top
23 June 2008 - Luxembourg is by far the richest country in the European Union, with Ireland second at almost half its gross domestic product per capita, the European Union statistics office said. However, Eurostat said that the Luxembourg result was artificially boosted by a large number of cross-border workers, who had jobs in Luxembourg and boosted its gross domestic product but did not live there, thus reducing the number of people GDP was divided between. The Netherlands was third richest, and Austria was fourth. The euro zone's third biggest economy, Italy, was closest to the EU average. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
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Luxembourg: New book, website spark increasing interest in Transcendental Meditation
28 July 2010 - In Luxembourg, interest in the Transcendental Meditation Programme is growing through businesses, a new website, and a new book, all of which are increasing public awareness about the benefits of the technique. (more)