The heads of government of Germany’s five northern states gathered in Rostock on Thursday for their annual working and coordination conference. At the center of the talks is a demand to raise federal aid for port infrastructure from 38 million to 500 million euros per year. The states cite growing responsibilities in supply and defense as the reason.
So far, the federal government has rejected additional funds, citing the constitution. A new legal opinion commissioned by the northern chambers of industry and commerce challenges this argument. The states also plan to urge the federal government to release the special infrastructure fund to advance the maintenance and expansion of federal waterways.
The backdrop is the planned expansion of offshore wind energy: by 2030, capacity is to nearly quadruple. This requires massive investment in northern German ports and shipyards, for example in the production and maintenance of wind turbines. The northern states are also calling for tax advantages for companies and protection of domestic shipyards against cheap competition from China.
Source: www.ndr.de
