Luxembourg's independent environmental think-tank, Mouvement Ecologique, is appalled by sustainability minister Claude Wiseler's plans to have potentially dangerous trees lining country roads cut down. Citing security reasons, Mr Wiseler recently announced that road side trees would be felled between Saeul and Brouch, Oetrange and Bous as well as in the so-called Mamer valley. The environmental organisation says hundreds of trees will fall victim to the chainsaw.

Even if the Mouvement Ecologique supports the goal of reducing road deaths in Luxembourg, the organisation can't agree with the proposed plans.

Minister Wiseler had previously stated, that especially trees lining road curves would be cut down. By doing this, roads could be widened to enable all types of vehicles to safely pass each other while doing 90km/h. The Mouvement Ecologique believes that there are better ways of achieving this improved security, one of them being the introduction of more speed cameras. The organisation says, for example, that motorists doing 70km/h on the Saeul-Brouch road are currently harassed on a regular basis by other drivers in a rush.

The Mouvement Ecologique is asking minister Wiseler to consider alternatives before going through with his blunt tree-felling action. Trees, especially road side trees, characterise rural landscapes roads, says the organisation, without them, these same landscapes would be left bare. It will now work together with experts to come up with alternatives.