German coal exit debate unblocked by government finance promise: report

摘要

Germany’s coal commission is to vote January 25 on a final report for the government after a meeting late Tuesday chaired by Chancellor Angela Merkel resolved conflicts within the commission, German state broadcaster ARD reported Wednesday. Aiding the compromise was an assurance made in the meeting by finance minister Olaf Scholz of long-term support for Germany’s four lignite-mining states beyond the Eur1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) set aside in the federal budget to 2021, state premier for Saxony-Anhalt Reiner Haseloff told ARD. The four states had called for over Eur70 billion in subsidies over coming decades as Germany plans to end coal-fired power generation. Debate within the commission reached an impasse last year on the question of how to guarantee financial support for mining regions.