Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Germany oversleeps coal agreement with the EU

Germany has clearly failed to get approval, the coal subsidies by the EU. This could be the end of mining.

  The exit from the coal-promotion is apparently without sufficient consultation with the EU Commission agreed. Then point to internal documents of the Essenes RAG Foundation, which exist WORLD ONLINE. Thus, it was apparently missed since 2007 of the federal government and the two coal-states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland, the German coal vote finance law with the EU and to press for a crucial permit for further state subsidy payments through the year 2010.

 As shown in the annual reports of the Foundation for the years 2008 and 2009 is missing, until now the ultimate approval of the EU Commission for the discharge plan, which foresees the end for the German mines in eight years. "A decision on the restructuring plan by the year 2018 is not so far been taken. The other timing is dependent on the clarification of issues and the definition of a decision based on the level of the EU, "it says in the internal documents of the Foundation.

End of state subsidies

 End of July, the EU Commission decided surprising to want to approve more state subsidies for loss-making mines in Europe since 2014. It was at first even a transitional period until 2022 was under discussion. But the Brussels commissioners decided then for a very short transition period. The main reason: The Commission wants to eliminate coal subsidies, because their share of the energy supply is already low.

In addition, EU countries would in any case to rely more on renewable energy. Coal is therefore the way out, said EU Competition Commissioner Joaquín Almunia. Even if the Federal Government now seeks to overturn the decision of the Commission, which Erfolgsausschichten are rather low.