Europese Commissie geeft Duitsland toestemming voor het verlenen van 2,5 miljard euro steun aan de steenkoolindustrie (en)

The European Commission has decided today not to raise any objections to the € 2.5 billion aid package which Germany is proposing to grant to its coal industry for the year 2006. The aid is compatible with the proper functioning of the internal market.

The total amount of proposed aid for the year 2006 is € 2 519 million. This aid can be divided into:

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  Production aid for accessing coal reserves: € 1 712 million
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  Aid to cover exceptional costs: € 806 million.

Changes compared to the restructuring plan

On 22 June 2005, the Commission approved a Restructuring Plan of the German coal-mining industry for the years 2006 to 2010. This Restructuring Plan provides for a gradual reduction of financial aid to the German coal-mining industry that will lead to a permanent decrease in production. The aid will follow a downward trend. The total amount of aid authorised for the period 2006 to 2010 is € 12 billion.

Germany has informed the Commission of two major changes in the State aid package for 2006, compared to the Restructuring plan. On the one hand, the Production aid for accessing coal reserves has been reduced by 157 million €, because the revenues of the mine shave been higher than expected thanks to the high coal price on the world market for coal. On the other hand, 5 of the 8 German mines will miss in 2006 the production cost targets which have been foreseen in the Restructuring Plan for the German coal industry for the years 2006 to 2010.

The assessment of the Commission found that the increase in production costs was due to unforeseen extraordinary circumstances, and could thus be accepted.

State aid to the coal industry and competition policy

When assessing State aid to the coal industry, the Commission must ensure that normal conditions of competition are established, maintained and complied with. With regard especially to the electricity market, aid to the hard coal industry must not be such as to affect electricity producers' choice of sources of primary energy supply. Consequently, the price and the quantities of coal must be freely agreed between the contracting parties in the light of prevailing conditions on the world market.