Overview

• The Federal Administrative Court rejected Thüringen’s bid to involve the federal government in mine‐securing expenses under its 1999 Generalvertrag.
• Judges held that the contract’s ten‐year renegotiation window expired in 2009, barring any further federal contributions.
• Since federal funds ran out in 2017, Thüringen has covered 16 to 20 million euros annually for remediation at the Springen and Merkers sites.
• Thüringen argued it was treated less favorably than Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, whose agreements include open revision clauses.
• Environment Minister Tilo Kummer said the state will now shift from courtroom suits to political talks with the federal government.