EU gasbags extend coal subsidies for Germany, Spain and 'other European coal-mining nations,' Dec. 2010

12/10/10: "EU coal nations win fight for subsidies to 2018," Reuters

"Germany and other European coal-mining nations secured an extension of coal subsidies until 2018 after a months-long battle against environmentalists.

The European Commission, the EU's executive, had proposed in July that the coal mining industry should only get four more years of state aid before subsidies are phased out in 2014, the sixth such extension of state aid since 1965.

• But with thousands of jobs on the line, Germany led other coal-mining countries such as Spain in pushing hard to extend subsidies to 2018, to fit around Berlin's own national laws.

That battle was settled between EU ambassadors and commissioners at two meetings in Brussels on Wednesday, with Germany getting its way.

The deal was rubber stamped by ministers on Friday."

via Tom Nelson via Haunting the Library