2023-09-07 07:21:47
Prime Ministers’ Conference in Brussels
Hendrik Wüst and Stephan Weil in Brussels with Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels.
(Photo: dpa)
Brussels The heads of government of the federal states continue their consultations with the EU in Brussels on Thursday. Among other things, it should be about strengthening industry in Germany, but also about the reception and distribution of refugees or how to deal with wolves.
Meetings are scheduled with EU Commissioners Maros Sefcovic (climate), Margaritis Schinas (migration), Kadri Simson (energy) and Virginijus Sinkevicius (environment). After that, the prime ministers intend to present a “Brussels declaration by the federal states” in the afternoon. The Handelsblatt first reported on the Brussels statement on Sunday.
The focus of the talks is the concern about the competitiveness of the German and European economy. “Europe is only as strong as its regions are,” stressed EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) in an opening statement on Wednesday. Therefore, Europe is only as strong as the federal states and their economies.
Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil explained that one must struggle to find a clever way of combining climate neutrality and economic strength. Weil sees a particular threat to the competitiveness of energy-intensive companies. The SPD politician is therefore promoting a temporary, reduced industrial electricity price for these companies.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has not yet spoken on this issue, said Weil before the talks with the EU. “He opposes a permanent subsidy. And that is also justified,” said Weil. “It’s about the period until enough renewable energies are available, especially for energy-intensive companies.”
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) also emphasized that the task for the next few years is to “get competitive”. Lower Saxony currently chairs the Prime Ministers’ Conference (MPK), NRW the co-chair.
With regard to wolves, the German Farmers’ Association called on the country leaders on Wednesday to speak out against von der Leyen in favor of downgrading the protection status of wolves in EU law. Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Weil had already announced at the beginning of the week that he wanted to work in Brussels for regional solutions. In his federal state “with excessive wolf populations and clear conflicts of use” it must be possible to intervene very quickly.
More: German prime ministers demand industrial electricity price in Brussels
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