Germany

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

Billions in aid only through cooperation
For strategically important industries, the Commission wants to allow up to 40 percent subsidies in Germany. However, if new factories want to receive the same support the IRA provides on US soil after being established, the Federal Republic would have to cooperate with at least two other member states. continue reading →
Wolf protection: environment ministers against EU Parliament
German Minister for the Environment Steffi Lemke (Greens) and eleven of her EU colleagues have rejected calls from the European Parliament for less protection for grey wolves. In a letter to the European Commission published on Wednesday, they made it clear that existing exemptions, such as for the shooting of animals, should not be relaxed. […] continue reading →
Wolfspeed to build billion-dollar chip factory in Saarland
Europe is taking another step forward in the location of important technologies: The US group Wolfspeed wants to build a chip factory in Saarland for the equivalent of €2.75 billion. The automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen is involved with a contribution of around €170 million. According to Wolfspeed CEO Gregg Lowe, a large part of the […] continue reading →
Florian Hassler – Kretschmann’s understanding of Europe
In 2011, Florian Hassler could have entered the Bundestag as a successor for the Greens. But the then 34-year-old decided against it. Many others would have preferred to start a career as a member of parliament on their own account instead of continuing in the second tier of politics. Hassler, however, felt obligated to the […] continue reading →
Conflict minerals: Companies rarely fulfill due diligence obligations
Technically, importers of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold in the EU have to fulfill special due diligence requirements. A first inspection report now reveals that most companies do not comply with the requirements. continue reading →
IRA: response from Paris and Berlin at Council of Ministers
Paris and Berlin plan to announce a joint approach to a European response to the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) at the 23rd Franco-German Council of Ministers on Jan. 22. The Council of Ministers is meeting on the 60th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty signed on Jan. 22, 1963. The Élysée Palace said, “We are […] continue reading →
Data Act: Berlin wants to differentiate between B2B and B2C
Germany still sees considerable need for change in the Data Act and would like, among other things, a clearer demarcation from the GDPR. This is clear from the statement sent from Berlin to Brussels, excerpts of which are available to Europe.Table. Most recently, the Swedish Council Presidency, which has just taken office, sent out an […] continue reading →
Germany and France must coordinate better
The Élysée Treaty was signed 60 years ago. Today, Germany and France are strong partners in Europe. But if they don't work more closely together on climate and energy policy, it will jeopardize the EU's cohesion, write Sébastien Treyer and Nicolas Berghmans of the Paris-based think tank IDDRI. continue reading →
EU Summit: agreement on sanctions package and aid loans for Ukraine
At the EU summit in Brussels, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked for arms deliveries and support for energy supplies. Germany and other EU states finally agreed on aid loans and sanctions against Russia. continue reading →
Fair Share levy: Germany sees no need
Will the Commission make a proposal in 2023 that Netflix, Amazon, and Co. should help finance broadband expansion in the future? The European Telecommunications Network Operator’s Association ETNO has been beating the drum for "Fair Share" for years. But the German government thinks little of the Commission's ideas so far. continue reading →
Inge Gräßle – ‘I don’t mind being annoying’
“She managed to annoy many people,” Politico wrote about her and voted her 12th on the list of the most influential MEPs in the EU Parliament in 2019 – 16 places ahead of Manfred Weber. The medium called her the “chief budget watchdog.” Persistence, that is important to Ingeborg “Inge” Gräßle. Persistence and determination. After […] continue reading →
German industry criticizes gas price cap
The energy sector and industry criticize the looming decision on the gas price cap (Europe.Table reported). “There are reports that ICE, as the most important exchange for gas trading in Europe, would raise security deposits by up to 80 percent if the price cap is passed,” Ingbert Liebing, CEO of VKU, said yesterday. “This would […] continue reading →
New start for smart meter rollout
The German government wants to give new impetus to the digitization of the energy transition. To this end, the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) has drafted a bill to relaunch the digitization of the energy transition (GNDEW), which is now going into departmental coordination. With this law, the BMWK aims to reduce […] continue reading →
Lindner and Le Maire seek way out of crisis
Against the backdrop of Franco-German disagreements, German Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner (FDP) has sought a common course in the crisis with his Parisian counterpart Bruno Le Maire. At the meeting in Paris on Thursday, both cited the fight against inflation as a top priority, as well as more targeted aid for distressed households […] continue reading →
Supercomputer LEONARDO goes into operation
This Thursday, a new supercomputer called LEONARDO will officially go into operation in Bologna in northern Italy after its test phase. On the list of the world’s fastest computers, LEONARDO ranks fourth behind Finland’s LUMI. The first and second places are occupied by high-performance computers from the USA (Frontier) and Japan (Fugaku). LEONARDO is thus […] continue reading →
German LNG terminals cost more than twice as much
Acquisition and maintenance of floating liquefied natural gas terminals will cost Germany at least €3.5 billion more than planned. A total of around €6.56 billion in budget funds is currently earmarked, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs said on Sunday. In the budget for 2022, €2.94 billion had still been budgeted. The increase was “necessary […] continue reading →
IRIS2: rocket propulsion for the economy
With IRIS2, the EU has cleared the way for a satellite-based secure communications network. France and Germany have different priorities. continue reading →
AI Act still about details
The discussion continues. It is true that the Permanent Representatives of the member states in the Council agreed to the Council Presidency’s proposal for a General Approach on the AI Act on Friday, including Germany. However, from Germany’s point of view, this is not final. There are still some detailed adjustments that Germany hopes can […] continue reading →