Spectacular comeback The new boom in the solar industry

As of: 06/24/2021 8:03 a.m.

After years of decline and bankruptcies, the solar industry in Germany is experiencing a comeback. Even solar cells are being produced again in this country. Help is also coming from the coalition.

From Lothar Gries, tagesschau.de

While the expansion of wind turbines is stalling, photovoltaic systems are enjoying ever greater popularity. In a tender in March, the Federal Network Agency was literally overrun with applications. There were more than twice as many interested parties as expected. Much to the delight of the Union and the SPD, who are agreed on an immediate program for energy and climate protection shortly before the summer break . After the federal cabinet yesterday given the green light has, the package should to be passed by the Bundestag today . According to this, the tender volumes for photovoltaic systems will be increased by 4.1 gigawatts to six gigawatts from next year. In the future, the municipalities will also be able to participate financially in photovoltaic areas. Until now, this was only possible with wind turbines. The Union and the SPD could not agree on a solar obligation for new buildings. Consumer advocates and the Haus und Grund association had heavily criticized the plans.

Mega boom in the solar industry

Solar systems were already very popular last year. According to the Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft (BSW), a quarter more solar systems were installed on German roofs than in the previous year, exactly 184,000, with an output of around 4.9 gigawatts. No other form of energy grew faster in power generation. However, pull-forward effects probably also contributed to this. In the spring there was still uncertainty about the continued existence of state subsidies, plus the temporarily reduced value added tax.

Almost every tenth kilowatt hour consumed this year comes from solar energy in this country. The Federal Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW) is already demanding that new solar systems with an output of at least ten gigawatts (GW) be installed every year by 2030. “We need a solar boom,” said BDEW chairwoman Kerstin Andreae recently to “Handelsblatt”.

Again solar cells from Bitterfeld

The domestic production of solar modules is celebrating an unexpected comeback these days. Solar cells are being produced again in Germany, in what was once the “Solar Valley” near Bitterfeld in Saxony-Anhalt. The Swiss company Meyer Burger recently opened a new plant here, which will be ramped up these days.

“At the historic Solar Valley solar location, we are setting a milestone on Europe’s path to more strategic independence in the key technology of photovoltaics,” said CEO Gunter Erfurt at the opening on May 18th. In the highly automated operation, up to 200,000 solar cells are expected to roll off the production line every day. In a first step, an annual capacity of 400 megawatts is planned. It should be five gigawatts by 2026.

Next door, the solar company Q-Cells, which belongs to the South Korean Hanwha Group, is expanding its location in Bitterfeld and intends to invest a good 140 million euros in the research and development of new, low-resource solar modules by 2023. Q-Cells was once one of the largest photovoltaic manufacturers in Europe, but was ousted by Chinese competition and had to file for bankruptcy in 2012 before the Koreans bought it.

The lucrative business with solar parks

In fact, the manufacture of solar panels plays a rather subordinate role in the rebirth of the industry. The most important players in the new boom are now operators and developers of solar parks, above all the Hamburg company Encavis, which has now been included in the MDAX share index. The electricity provider, formerly known as “Capital Stage AG”, acquires and operates solar power plants and (onshore) wind parks in Germany and other European countries – with success, as the latest outlook shows. The result this year is expected to increase more than twice as fast as in 2020. Sales are expected to grow to over 320 million euros, thanks to two newly connected solar parks in Spain with a maximum production capacity of 200 and 300 megawatts each. The regular income that such a business model generates has not escaped other entrepreneurs.

Is a new IPO imminent with BEE?

Five years ago, a dozen Encavis managers decided to start their own company. With financial help from the entrepreneurial family Wacker (Wacker Chemie) and the former publishing family Jahr, the wind and solar park operator Blue Elephant Energy (BEE) was created. The company controls systems with a combined output of 1.1 gigawatts. Projects of a similar size are being planned. BEE achieved an operating result (Ebitda) of more than 60 million euros last year with a turnover of over 80 million euros. Because of the unusually high margin and the industry’s growth prospects, there is even speculation that the Hamburg-based company will go public. The company could earn 150 million euros, insiders reported to the Reuters news agency. After that, the issue could be implemented this summer, if possible in July. The company does not comment on the speculation. But company boss Felix Goedhart is quoted by the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” as saying: “Our operating profit margin of 74 percent with low risk should be interesting for investors.”

Solar power from Mecklenburg for VW

Climate protection and the goal of the EU Commission to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 are generating more and more alliances between a wide variety of companies. The Hamburg asset manager Luxcara has acquired a solar park in Mecklenburg and commissioned the energy giant RWE to market it. RWE will supply the car manufacturer Volkswagen with electricity from next year. The system has a total capacity of 170 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which makes it one of the largest solar projects in Germany

Bundestag Climate protection in Fast track

Status: 06/24/2021 4:41 a.m.

The Bundestag wants to pass the stricter climate protection law today. The opposition speaks of a quick shot – and doubts the effect.

From Martin Polansky, ARD capital studio

The federal government hastily got the new climate protection law in motion. At the end of April, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled: The previous Climate Protection Act of 2019 must be improved because the measures to reduce emissions from 2031 are inadequate. After the decision in Karlsruhe, there would actually have been time until the end of next year to remedy the deficiencies. But the Union and the SPD wanted to prove their ability to act again in terms of climate protection.

Environment Minister Svenja Schulze from the SPD speaks of a “very important week for climate protection in Germany”. “This means that climate neutrality will become law in Germany in 2045. And with this, we will fulfill the mandate of the Federal Constitutional Court in the shortest possible time and ensure a fair balance between the generations.” The Karlsruhe judges had emphasized that future generations could be burdened too much in their freedoms by climate protection measures, if not changed in time.

2045 greenhouse gas neutral

The amendment now stipulates that Germany is to become greenhouse gas neutral as early as 2045 – i.e. from then on it will not emit more carbon dioxide than is absorbed primarily through forests. To achieve this, the annual savings targets for power plants, industry, traffic, agriculture and buildings are tightened.

And after a long turmoil, the federal government has agreed on some immediate measures: for example, additional wind turbines and solar systems in the coming year and simplified repowering, in which old wind turbines are replaced by new and higher ones. Communities should also benefit financially when they provide open space for solar systems.

And: The federal government has launched an eight billion euro investment program to accelerate the energy transition. “We want to involve the citizens with us. We want to get people excited about climate protection. That is why we rely on the promotion of environmental technologies,” says the chairwoman of the Union in the Bundestag Environment Committee, Anja Weisgerber from the CSU. “And we want to prevent jobs from being relocated due to excessively strict climate protection requirements. We achieved that in the agreement.” Some in the Union and the SPD are concerned that voters’ enthusiasm for climate protection could wane as soon as it becomes concrete and costly. Therefore, the SPD has blocked plans of the Union to increase the CO2 price for fuel, heating oil and natural gas, which has been in effect since the beginning of the year, more quickly.

Costs for the tenants?

At the same time, the CO2 costs for heating remain entirely with the tenants. The Union did not want to burden the landlords additionally. And: CDU / CSU have blocked the SPD’s plans for a significantly faster expansion of renewable energies. Because new wind turbines and power lines are unpopular in many places.

Criticism comes from the environmental expert of the Greens Oliver Krischer: “We have agreements in the smallest details that hardly make a difference in the matter,” he says. “And there is no progress at all with the major measures such as phasing out coal, refurbishing buildings, or switching off combustion engines.”

“A quick shot”

The Left and the FDP speak of an election maneuver. The federal government does not have a clear plan for climate protection, says the FDP environmental expert Lukas Köhler: “What the federal government is doing now is a quick shot that is neither coordinated at European level nor in any way really stipulates that it works efficiently and purposefully. ” With the government majority of the Union and SPD, the tightened climate protection is likely to pass the Bundestag today. The current federal government no longer has to achieve the new climate targets. To this end, future governments will be bound to the goal of greenhouse gas neutrality in 2045

Financial crime Malta graylisted for Financial crimes

Status: 06/24/2021 9:40 a.m.

Corruption, money laundering and “golden passports”: the Mediterranean island of Malta has fallen into twilight. An international institution to combat money laundering now wants to monitor the country more closely. The attempts by the Maltese government to avert the decision of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) were unsuccessful: The international institution for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of weapons of mass destruction has put Malta on the gray list for financial crimes, according to the Times newspaper of Malta “reported. Inclusion on this list means that the country is under increased surveillance, that it is being monitored more and more. At the same time, the state undertakes to remedy the deficiencies identified in the context of financial crime. Who is the FATF?

The Financial Action Task Force, based in Paris, is an independent international institution that develops and promotes measures to combat money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the financing of weapons of mass destruction. It was founded in 1989 by the G7 countries and currently has 37 members. More than 200 states and jurisdictions have committed to complying with the FATF standards. The FATF is supported by a secretariat affiliated with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Malta pledges cooperation

Prime Minister Robert Abela confirmed the decision and described it as “unjust”. Most of the concerns expressed by the reviewers have already been addressed. Malta wants to continue with its reform program, said Abela. “We will intensify our exchanges to better explain Malta’s achievements and to ensure that they are respected and understood by the international community.” Malta will never show itself to be uncooperative in the fight against financial crime or resist it, he assured the international partners.

Cayman Islands and Syria are also on the gray list

It is not the first time that Malta has fallen into twilight: the country has already been screened for financial crime more intensely because of its “golden passport” program. Like Cyprus, Malta had granted citizenships in return for financial commitments. The EU Commission then initiated infringement proceedings.

With the jump on the gray list of the FATF there is now a further loss of reputation for the country. As of February 2021, the FATF gray list includes countries such as Burkina Faso, the Cayman Islands, Ghana, Mauritius, Panama, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

Germany holds the FATF presidency

Germany took over the presidency of the FATF in July 2020. The term of office of Marcus Pleyer from the Federal Ministry of Finance ends on June 30, 2022.

Marcus Pleyer is currently the President of the FATF. Image: Felix Zahn / photothek.net

Incidentally, the Federal Republic of Germany is currently also being routinely audited by the FATF. In its last evaluation in 2010, the organization came to the conclusion that Germany was susceptible to money laundering and terrorist financing

interview

Working conditions at universities “Human and anti-science ”

Status: 06/24/2021 5:03 a.m.

Chain contracts, extra work and a lack of prospects: under the hashtag #IchBinHanna, scientists mobilize against difficult working conditions. At their pressure, the Bundestag is also dealing with the subject today. tagesschau.de: With #IchBinHanna, working conditions in science make it into parliament. How did the hashtag come about? Sebastian Kubon: Until recently, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research had a video on its website in which an animated figure named Hanna explains the legal basis of employment, the Science Contract Act. This is a special right of fixed-term employment that regulates that scientists in Germany can be employed for a maximum of six years before and six years after completing their doctorate. Thereafter, the time limit must be extended. But that doesn’t happen due to a lack of jobs, so most of them are thrown out of the system by then at the latest – with all their qualifications and knowledge that are then lost to science. And in addition to this immense loss for Germany as a research location, there is always a personal fate. If there is such an explanatory video to explain this absurd situation, then in my opinion it is anti-human and anti-science. Therefore, Dr. Amrei Bahr, Dr. Kristin Eichhorn and I give the scientists a face – with the hashtag #IchbBinHanna.

To person Dr. Sebastian Kubon is a research associate at the History Department at the University of Hamburg, currently on parental leave. He is mainly concerned with public history and food history. At the moment, criticism of the German science system is at the center of his commitment. To do this, he and Dr. Amrei Bahr and Dr. Kristin Eichhorn created the hashtag #IchBinHanna.

tagesschau.de: What are your main points of criticism and what are your specific suggestions? Kubon: I hardly know where to start. The short-term contracts are particularly bad. Instead of doing research in peace, you have to keep writing new applications and proposals. We need realistic contract terms, i.e. as long as you actually need for a doctorate, for example. And those who then have a doctorate should be employed on a permanent basis – or at least receive a clear and transparent perspective. In addition, there is a lot of unpaid overtime at universities. Many colleagues only have half jobs – and still work as much as if they had full jobs to keep the business running. We need reliable and sufficient basic funding. This does not always mean more third-party funding, i.e. project-related funds that have to be applied for and raised at great expense.

“Then you shouldn’t get any professors out of time”

tagesschau.de: The Ministry of Education justified the temporary positions by stating that research always needed new impulses. Kubon: This argument that only constant fluctuation creates innovation has been around for decades without ever being scientifically verified. According to this logic, professors should not be deferred. I think that is more of an exaggerated argument. Because it is – at least in the short term – easier and cheaper for young scientists to work unpaid overtime. But this literally burns them up, which is expensive in the long term and not sustainable at all. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not about pity. But this system means that important research projects are put to rest, teaching suffers in terms of content and students keep losing contact. Many highly talented people, when asked if they could see themselves in science, wave their thanks. tagesschau.de: Another argument from the Ministry of Education is that if all posts were to be expelled, a single generation would “clog” the system … Kubon: But nobody is asking that all positions be permanent – as far as I know, not even the union. It is about transparent criteria and a concrete perspective: in other words, expiry under the and the circumstances. Surely it cannot be that every new generation has to struggle again and again with precarious working conditions and cannot conduct research properly.

“No wonder that many seek their happiness elsewhere”

tagesschau.de: Is that actually a purely German problem, is it better to deal with young scientists abroad? Kubon: “Offspring” is a terrible term. Some people in their mid-40s are not newcomers, but highly qualified experts who have long had highly paid management positions elsewhere. No wonder that many seek their happiness elsewhere. Foreign universities have already tried to poach German scientists as part of #IchBinHanna. But to come back to the question: Overall, science is a precarious system worldwide. But I cannot judge that in detail. But it would perhaps also be more the job of the ministry to set up a commission to deal with working conditions elsewhere in order to see what one can learn from there. But that would presuppose that deficits are recognized at all in their own country.

Mobilize via Twitter – in response to pressure from academics, the Bundestag is currently dealing with working conditions in research and teaching (archive). Image: picture alliance / Geisler-Fotop

tagesschau.de: Now there is a current hour in the Bundestag today. What do you expect from it? Kubon: I hope that this will bring science back on the political agenda. If it is to provide urgently needed orientation, then we can no longer work under such conditions. But I have the impression that many politicians simply do not know anything about it. Therefore we say: stop – it cannot go on like this. And maybe a few parties will see it as an opportunity to position themselves on questions of science policy.

Workers’ rights, as for everyone else

tagesschau.de: It is the last week of the session, then there will be general elections in September, so there will be no quick solutions. How do you intend to carry the topic forward? Kubon: The Science Contract Act is currently being evaluated. However, the corresponding forms are designed in such a way that I cannot imagine that valid data will come out of them. Nevertheless: The law is on the agenda for the next legislative period. Therefore, the deficits must now be described as precisely as possible in order to propose possible solutions. This is done in the traditional way, i.e. via local programs, party work or unions. But thanks to social media, initiatives can also arise quickly and spontaneously – the success of #IchBinHanna has shown us that. You made the Ministry of Research have to deal with our criticism. And on this point we will not let up: Scientists must have the same employee rights as everyone else. The interview was conducted by Stefan Keilmann, tagesschau.de

background

Increasing demand worldwide Oil price close to $ 100?

Status: 23.06.2021 3:10 p.m.

Oil is more expensive than it has been in two years. Experts warn of a supply crisis: The prices for crude oil and thus also gasoline, kerosene and heating oil could soon rise much higher.

From Angela Göpfert, tagesschau.de

Oil prices hit new multi-year highs this week. For the first time in two years, a barrel (159 liters) of the North Sea Brent cost more than $ 75 again. For a barrel of the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) variety, more than 73 dollars were paid on the market – the highest amount since October 2018. Rising oil prices – something that businesses and consumers may need to get used to. According to some experts, the new multi-year highs in oil prices, which many consumers are already feeling painfully at gas stations or when buying heating oil, are just the beginning of a longer upward trend in the oil market.

Analysts predict rising oil prices

The experts at the US investment bank Goldman Sachs expect the Brent price to rise to $ 80 this summer. But that is not the end of the story. An oil price of $ 100 is a “real possibility”. Alex Sanna, top oil trader at Glencore, the world’s largest commodity trading group, also said, according to the Financial Times, that an oil price of $ 100 is becoming increasingly likely.

The experts at JPMorgan even see a new oil super cycle looming and recently renewed their forecast of an oil price of $ 190 in 2025.

Demand congestion as a price driver

Francisco Blanch, raw materials expert at Bank of America, may not look quite that far into the future. For this he has the most precise 100-dollar forecast ready: the oil price could crack the round mark as early as 2022. The market hardly changes on the supply side – and this in turn is offset by an immense backlog of demand. It is easy to explain where this backlog of demand comes from: Just as many private households restricted their consumption during the pandemic, so too many companies put the necessary investments aside. Now that the global vaccination campaign is gaining momentum, at least in the major industrialized countries, consumers, companies and economies have a lot to catch up on.

Delta variant is a risk factor

The more relaxed Corona situation and the awakening global economy are leading to higher demand for crude oil, gasoline, diesel – and kerosene. Oil expert Blanch sees the rising travel industry as a major price driver.

The delta variant of the virus from India, which could lead to a further tightening of the corona measures, is currently also posing a risk to the economy.

Signal of a shortage of supply

In search of signs of whether demand is actually exceeding supply at the moment, it is worth taking a look at the market for so-called oil futures. Current oil futures contracts are quoted there higher than contracts with delivery at a later point in time. Such a constellation, referred to by experts as “backwardation”, is rather unusual and a clear indication of fear of scarcity – “and thus for further rising prices”, as market expert Robert Rethfeld from Wellenreiter-Invest emphasizes.

A price corrective called fracking

The rising prices should actually make re-entry into the oil market attractive for the US shale industry. In the past, the US frackers acted as flexible price correctors on the oil market: If prices rose, more shale oil was drilled in the short term, supply increased, prices fell again.

As a reminder, the last time oil traded above $ 100 was in 2014, when a rapidly growing supply from the US fracking industry brought an abrupt end to the last oil super cycle.

Sustainability trend slows US oil industry

But this mechanism doesn’t seem to work that well anymore. This is due on the one hand to the new US President Joe Biden, who imposed a stop on oil and gas drilling on state-owned land in January, and on the other hand to the global trend towards sustainable investment.

“The number of active US oil wells is increasing only slowly,” emphasizes wave rider expert Rethfeld. “The investors do not want to see an expansion of the production capacities at the moment, but instead demand investments in renewable energies.”

Iran as a risk factor

The production countries of the OPEC + oil cartel, especially Saudi Arabia and Russia, could benefit from the West’s climate policy. It remains to be seen how willing they are to expand production to fill the void left by the US oil industry.

Especially since there are supply risks on the part of OPEC: “After the election of an ultra-conservative cleric as the new president, Iran will have a hard time overturning US sanctions and increasing oil exports,” said Eugen Weinberg, raw materials expert at Commerzbank .

Inflation Risks Before Revaluation?

Should the oil price actually rise further towards 100 dollars, this would inevitably lead to a reassessment of the inflation risks in the financial markets, since the oil price is one of the main drivers of consumer prices.

Just yesterday, Jerome Powell, head of the US Federal Reserve (Fed), told the House of Representatives budget committee again that the Fed was considering the current high inflation rates a temporary phenomenon considered. However, market expert Rethfeld emphasizes: “Any oil price above $ 100 would suggest to the public that Powell is wrong.”

US Secretary of State in Berlin Solution to pipeline dispute by August?

Status: 23.06.2021 13:57

During his inaugural visit to Berlin, US Secretary of State Blinken demonstrated unity with his counterpart Maas. In the dispute over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, an agreement is expected soon. The German government wants to find a solution to the transatlantic dispute over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline by August. This was announced by Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Berlin after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Chancellor’s trip to Washington in mid-July would certainly also be a suitable date, said Maas. But in August the US Congress will again deal with possible sanctions. “It is extremely important to us to achieve results that can also be supported in Washington,” emphasized the SPD politician.

USA: Nord Stream 2 is “Russia’s geopolitical project”

Blinken warned that Russia could use energy to leverage Ukraine. “Our goal is to ensure that Russia does not use energy as a means of coercion, as a weapon against Ukraine or anyone else in Europe,” said the US Secretary of State, who told his counterpart Maas in the run-up to the second Libya conference met in Berlin. The US continues to believe that the pipeline is a geopolitical project by Russia that threatens Europe’s energy security. In view of the difference of opinion between Washington and Berlin on this point, Blinken emphasized: “It happens from time to time among friends.”

USA waived sanctions

For years, the US has been against the construction of the Baltic Sea pipeline, which is supposed to pump gas from Russia to Germany bypassing Ukraine. Nevertheless, in May the new administration of US President Joe Biden partially gave up its longstanding resistance to the project and waived sanctions against the operating company – also out of consideration for relations with Germany.

Since then, talks have been going on between Germany and the USA about how to proceed. In essence, it is about how Ukraine, as a previous transit country, can secure long-term income, since it is dependent on Russian billions for gas transfers. The corresponding contract between Russia and Ukraine is limited to 2024

Volume of eight billion euros Immediate climate program decided

Status: 23.06.2021 12:01 p.m.

The federal cabinet has launched an emergency program for climate protection. The program has a volume of eight billion euros – the promotion of energy-efficient buildings is the largest item. The federal government has decided on a so-called immediate program for climate protection worth a good eight billion euros. The program is part of the federal budget for 2022, presented by Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz. The climate finance plan is intended to help promote the switch to climate-friendly technologies and to achieve the federal government’s new climate targets.

Largest amount for energy-efficient buildings

The package of measures includes around three dozen funding programs for investments, for example in the building, energy and transport sectors, most of which will be allocated to the years 2022 and 2023. With 4.5 billion euros in the next two years, the largest sum is to go into promoting energy-efficient buildings. A total of one billion euros will also be earmarked for climate-friendly social housing in the coming years; 150 million euros should be available for this in 2022. The plan also includes the plan to raise the minimum energy standards for new buildings.

Hundreds of millions for climate protection contracts

The federal government intends to provide another larger amount – 650.2 million euros – for climate protection agreements with industry. These contracts are state funding programs that are intended to offset the additional costs for climate-friendly production, for example for the use of green hydrogen. The steel industry is to receive 100 million euros for converting its blast furnaces to hydrogen-based production processes. The total funding for industry amounts to 860 million euros. There are also more than a billion more for traffic. For example, more than 300 million euros have been budgeted for the expansion of the cycling infrastructure.

Scholz speaks of “money well invested”

After the cabinet decision, the Federal Finance Minister spoke of a “clear signal”: Germany should “become a pioneer in climate protection”. He praised the plan as “money well spent”. Man-made climate change is “the greatest challenge of our time”, continued Scholz.

In the past two years, the federal government had already invested more than 80 billion euros in climate protection projects. The financial plan that has now been adopted is a template for the coming legislative period. Only then can the Bundestag deal with it again within the framework of budget deliberations and adopt the program

Draft budget of the federal government Cabinet approves of high New debt

Status: 23.06.2021 12:18 p.m.

The federal government will also take on massive debts in the coming year. The cabinet approved the draft budget, which provides for new borrowing of almost 100 billion euros for 2022. The debt brake will be suspended again for this. The federal cabinet has approved the government draft for the federal budget for 2022. Once again, the approved budget is shaped by the consequences of the Corona crisis. According to the draft, the federal government wants to incur more new debts in the coming year than previously planned. A net borrowing of 99.7 billion euros is planned, as can be seen from a cabinet proposal. The high level of new borrowing is justified with additional spending as a result of the corona pandemic, for example for corporate aid and to stabilize social contributions.

Debts grow to 470 billion euros

In the benchmarks presented in March, the Ministry of Finance had expected a net borrowing of 81.5 billion euros for 2022. Tax revenues remain below pre-crisis levels. This would mean that the mountain of debt accumulated by the corona pandemic between 2020 and 2022 would grow to around 470 billion euros. However, there are now plans to increase spending on climate protection and health, for example. The federal government had already taken on billions in new debts in 2020 and 2021. The budget plans are, so to speak, subject to change, because the new Bundestag elected in autumn has to pass the budget. There could therefore still be significant changes.

Debt brake suspended again

According to the draft, the debt brake anchored in the Basic Law will also be suspended in the coming year against the background of the Corona crisis. It stipulates that the federal government may only take out new loans to a very small extent – a maximum of 0.35 percent of economic output. According to the draft, the federal government no longer wants to make use of the exemption from 2023. In the afternoon, Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz wants to present his budget plan

In terms of economic strength alone, Germany can indeed rank among the top five in the world, and to be precise, it should be fourth. No way, because the data is there. In recent years, Germany’s GDP has basically been ranked first in Europe, fourth in the world, and a large percentage of the fifth place.

For example, in 2019, Germany’s GDP reached 3.85 trillion U.S. dollars, ranking first in Europe and the fourth largest economy in the world. In the same year, India, which ranked behind Germany, had a total GDP of 2.85 trillion U.S. dollars, and the difference between the two sides was exactly one trillion U.S. dollars.

In 2020, due to well-known reasons, the German economy has experienced a certain degree of decline. The total GDP that year was approximately US$3.8 trillion. However, this figure can still rank fourth in the world, and it is also the largest economy in Europe, accounting for 4.5% of the total global GDP.

It is worth mentioning that the world’s fifth largest economy in 2020 is no longer India, but the United Kingdom. However, the total GDP of the UK this year was only US$2.71 trillion, which was almost US$1.1 trillion less than Germany. This is already close to Russia.

As we all know, GDP, as the main indicator of the current state of the country’s economy, can effectively reflect a country’s economic strength and market size, which is very convincing.

Of course, even from other angles, the German economy is still impeccable. We must know that Germany is a serious developed country or a major member of the Group of Seven. It has a deep and complete economic system. Various industries in Germany are well developed and show diversified development. Take Germany’s most developed industry as an example. From industry type to material foundation, to talent technology, they are in a leading position in the world. Especially in the key area of ​​manufacturing, Germany can almost be regarded as an industry authority, and German-made products are almost synonymous with high-quality goods. On this point, just look at those well-known German companies. In the automotive field, there are world-class car companies such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Daimler. DMG MORI is the global leader in the field of CNC machine tools. In addition, Germany has ThyssenKrupp and Schaeffler , Carl Zeiss and a large number of world-renowned industrial giants. More importantly, Germany can take advantage of its own industrial hierarchy, and Germany can occupy a certain leading position in the industry, which can also support the stable development of the economy to a certain extent. This is fundamentally different from the single economic model of Saudi Arabia and Qatar that relies on the sale of resources under their feet to achieve wealth freedom. They just belong to the gods, and they don’t have core technology or sustainable industrial structure to support them. After all, no matter how much oil is, there will always be a day when there is no use. It is not enough to sit in the sky. In addition, with the development of science and technology, more alternative energy sources appear, and people have more and more choices. The pressure on resource-exporting countries like them will become greater and greater. If they are not careful, they will be abandoned by the times, and then these so-called “local tyrants” will have to return to their old ways. But countries like Germany have no such worries. Because of their talents and technological advantages, they are always at the top of the industrial chain, able to control the most profitable industries, or use technological advantages to divide most of the profits. It belongs to the type that doesn’t do much work and makes more money than anyone else. This is a height that most developing countries, even developed countries, cannot reach. For example, South Korea, as a newly promoted developed country, still lacks foundation in many fields and cannot stand at the top of the industrial chain. This means that South Korea will lose a large amount of profits because of these shortcomings, and even risk being restrained by others. After all, they are using other people’s things, such as patented equipment and technical raw materials, which all cost money. And if people say they don’t sell you, you really can’t help it. Just like the Korean semiconductors in the previous two years, when several high-end raw materials imported from Japan were cut off, a quarter of South Korea’s semiconductor industry was on the verge of collapse. I have to say that it is really not easy for Germany to develop to the point it is today. You know, if you look at the size of the country alone, Germany does not have much advantage. Its land area is only 357,000 square kilometers, and its population is only over 80 million. What’s more worth mentioning is that he was also a defeated country in World War II. The war that year caused Germany to pay an extremely heavy price, so let’s not talk about the reparation of land and indemnities. The key is the collapse of the entire national system. At that time, Germany was almost broken. Looking around, it was full of ruined walls and hungry everywhere. It is really rare for Germany to get up from the ruins and walk to this position. Although there are some reasons for external funding, Germany’s own efforts cannot be ignored. The rigorous and serious attitude of this nation is worth learning from the whole world. Of course, all of the above is more biased towards the economic side. Although Germany’s economic strength is strong, it does not mean that its comprehensive national strength can reach this height. After all, for a country, economic strength is only part of its national strength, and other aspects cannot be delayed. However, Germany is just such an “unsound” country, and it has shortcomings in some respects. For example, in terms of military affairs, Germany’s strength is quite a drag. In the impression of most of us, Germany’s military strength should be very strong. It’s no problem to beat England, kick France, or even single Europe. But in fact, that is only history, and times have changed. As the saying goes, 30 years in Hedong and 30 years in Hexi, Germany now can’t even compare to Italy. According to the latest data provided by the Global Firepower Index, Germany’s military power in 2021 can only be ranked 15th in the world, while Italy is ranked 12th. In terms of the specific data in all aspects, Germany is a bit unbearable to look directly at it. For example, in terms of military strength, as of March 2021, Germany’s standing strength is only 185,000, ranking 28th in the world. Even with the reserve of 30,000 people, the total force is only 215,000. Italy is much more powerful. Although the standing army of 175,000 is less than that of Germany, it has a reserve force of 20,000 and a paramilitary force of 176,000. The total strength of the armed forces can reach 371,000. In terms of equipment, Germany is even more terrible. In terms of aviation capabilities, Germany has only 700 military aircraft, including 137, 75 attack aircraft, 72 transport aircraft, and 56 armed helicopters. In contrast, Italy is equipped with nearly 900 military aircraft of various types, mainly including 94 fighters, 92 attack aircraft, 39 transport aircraft, and 59 armed helicopters. In terms of land, there are currently only more than 200 main battle tanks equipped by Germany, and only a hundred artillery. The only one with more than armored vehicles is more than 5,000. Italy is equipped with more than 200 tanks, more than 8,500 armored vehicles, and more than 150 artillery. As for the equipment at sea, Germany is almost unworthy. At present, the German Navy is equipped with more than 80 types of warships, of which the main combat capabilities are 10 frigates and 6 conventional submarines. There are no destroyers and no aircraft carriers. The Italian Navy is equipped with 249 ships of various types, mainly including 2 aircraft carriers, 4 large destroyers, 12 frigates, and 8 submarines. The size of this navy is much larger than that of Germany. Obviously, Germany’s military strength on paper is not even comparable to that of Italy, both in terms of number and level of equipment. Of course, the current German army is far worse than the data shows. There are problems with both the level of equipment and the quality of the soldiers. In terms of equipment, the German army has failed to keep up with maintenance due to the year-round depletion of military equipment, so 60% of the equipment is unavailable. In terms of personnel, since Germany is taking the path of contract soldiers, soldiers are just like ordinary office workers. They work from 9 to 5 and have weekends and weekends. Work is easy, and the salary is still high. All of them have been eaten into a federal fat house. It doesn’t look like an army that can fight. Therefore, the current Germany is no longer as courageous as it used to be in the military. Of course, this is not to blame Germany, and others can’t help it. Because of the defeat in World War II, Germany was unable to develop its military power normally afterwards. Therefore, Germany can only abandon its efforts in this area and concentrate on economic development. If the German military restrictions are released, I believe it will not be long before it will be a powerful Germany. It is estimated that this is the so-called fish and bear’s paw, not both! Regardless of the reason, Germany is indeed dragging its feet in the military, which directly lowers Germany’s comprehensive national strength. Therefore, in general, although Germany is currently rich and the leader of the European economy, it does not have much military strength and its overall national strength is not strong. Not to mention the top five in the world, it would be nice to be in the top ten in the world

Luxury department store in Paris La Samaritaine shines in new splendor

Status: 23.06.2021 2:09 p.m.

It is one of the most famous shopping addresses in the world: La Samaritaine in Paris. The legendary department store was lavishly renovated for 16 years. Today it opened its doors again.

From Stefanie Markert, ARD studio Paris

“O lala!” – Emmanuel Macron is visibly impressed by the sight: Gustave Eiffel’s gray-blue iron staircase spanning five floors with 16,000 gold leaves has been originally restored. Many of the 1700 employees of the department store stand on the landing and applaud the president. He accepted Bernard Arnault’s invitation. The billionaire and boss of the luxury goods company LVMH owns the Samaritaine. He renovated the building complex for 750 million euros and is now attracting customers: “Perhaps you can also shop on the Internet. But there you can’t touch the products, you can’t see them, and you can’t have lunch in such a wonderful atmosphere.”

A water pump as namesake

In the Samaritaine, this is most spectacularly done in the “Voyage” restaurant under the historic glass dome, surrounded by a 115-meter-long peacock frieze in Art Nouveau style. But actually shopping is hip here, emphasizes Head of Marketing Nathalie Montaldier: “You are on the fourth floor – all women’s shoes, from sneakers to luxury. The special thing: when you try them on you have a fantastic view of the Gothic cathedral Saint-Germain-L’Auxerrois . A unique experience.” In 1870 Ernest Cognacq founded the Samaritaine. Before that he had sold fabrics on the bridge next door – the famous Pont Neuf -, then rented a corner café and expanded his business little by little. At that time the first Parisian water pump stood on the Pont Neuf, and it was called “la Samaritaine” – the Samaritan woman. The pump gave the store its name. Today, historical commercials flicker there on old TVs:

Monsieur wants something?

Yes, nails.

We dont have.

An alligator clip.

Neither clamp nor crocodile.

Haven’t you read the name of our store?

No.

This is not the Samaritaine.

Ah, I see – you can find everything in the Samaritaine.

In the Parisian luxury department store you will find one thing above all: French “savoir vivre”. Image: Stefanie Markert / ARD-Studio Paris

A hymn to Paris

The house no longer lives up to this claim, says manager Eleonore de Boysson, but: “You can find all of Paris in the Samaritaine. Its brands and artists. It’s like a promenade with surprises. A visit should trigger a new Parisian feeling.” And convey the French way of life. The house bakes its own croissants, personalizes champagne bottles and sells cosmetics from collapsible crates that resemble those of the bouquinists in front of the door. Mosaics are reminiscent of the Parisian passages and yellow lanterns of the street lighting in the past. Parisian flair en passant.

The luxury department store is a hymn to the city. It offers the largest beauty department in the European Union – 600 brands and products from three-euro hand gel to perfume in a giant crystal bottle for 150,000 euros. Up to five million customers are expected each year. Parisians, French and of course tourists. On the lower floor, the head of marketing points to a long rolling carpet like at the airport: “There was direct access from the parking lot to the department store. We have redesigned this tunnel. This is where the bus tourists will arrive.”

The complex includes a luxury hotel with a 1000 square meter suite. Even the smallest room there costs 1500 euros per night. But there is also a day nursery and almost 100 social housing. Samaritaine General Director Jean Jacques Guiony explains: “That is the law. When building, around 25 percent of the area has to be reserved for social housing. We were free to move it inside in the Rue de Rivoli building.” The tenants look out over a green, roofed courtyard with the department store’s wellness oasis. The Samaritaine is open 364 days a year. It is only closed on May 1st

German competition guardians Face to face with Google, Apple & Co.

Status: 23.06.2021 3:56 p.m.

The big tech companies from the USA are becoming more and more powerful all over the world. There are also new players from China. The Bundeskartellamt does not just want to accept market power.

From Sebastian Tittelbach, WDR

For a few months now, one hears an abbreviation more frequently in the office corridors of the Federal Cartel Office: GAFA. They are the first letters of the really big ones: Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. And Bundeskartellamt President Andreas Mundt has all of these in his sights. “We are talking about the most powerful companies in the world. We’re getting very strong companies in China – so this is by no means an American event, it’s a global trend.”

New rules have been in effect since the beginning of the year

German competition law changed at the beginning of the year. Since then, the cartel watchdogs have been able to take action against Internet companies more easily. And the 400-person authority from Bonn does not shy away from tech giants from overseas worth billions. “It’s not about throwing sand in the machine”says head of the authorities Mundt. “Our aim is simply to end anti-competitive behavior at these companies.”

Amazon already had to reorganize its marketplace under pressure from the Federal Cartel Office. Amazon has given the smaller retailers who offer their goods there more rights. The Federal Cartel Office is currently taking a look at Apple. “We know what kind of universe Apple maintains, and I personally see it that way that restrictions of competition are possible”, so Mundt. “And now let’s see how this process develops.”

The pandemic is leaving its mark

The corona pandemic did not leave the Federal Cartel Office completely without a trace. In 2020, the investigators only went out for a single search – for reasons of hygiene, the head of the authorities said: “We were out last summer, and we’re honestly looking forward to going back out now, if the numbers allow.”

Even without searches, the Bonn authorities found enough evidence to punish companies. She imposed 349 million euros in fines last year. Half a billion less than in 2019, but still well above the long-term average. Above all, steel and aluminum forges, manufacturers of street sewer castings, such as covers made of cast iron or concrete, and wholesalers of pesticides have to pay. Elsewhere, the cartel watchdogs were more flexible because of Corona: in the automotive industry, for example, they approved collaborations between companies so that the supply chains did not collapse completely in the pandemic. “Then other cooperations are possible between companies where you might have concerns outside of the pandemic, then say in the pandemic: The economic situation is such that you can and must cooperate”, explains the head of the Cartel Office, Mundt.

High hopes, more work

He has great expectations of the new competition register, which was launched in the spring. “The competition register is simply about registering companies that owe something. Violation of minimum wage et cetera.” Such companies can be banned from public tenders for three to five years.

The Bundeskartellamt expects more work on merger control in the current year. Because of the pandemic, there could be more company mergers. The cartel office will examine such mergers without any corona bonus, announces the head of the authorities Mundt. Because when companies merge, it is usually forever – but hopefully not the corona pandemic

Stolen car keys VW files criminal complaint against Greenpeace

Status: 23.06.2021 3:09 p.m.

A Greenpeace campaign in which 100 stolen VW keys were brought to the Zugspitze has legal consequences: the Volkswagen Group has filed a criminal complaint against the environmental protection organization. Around a month after the Greenpeace campaign against Volkswagen in the port of Emden, the car manufacturer took action and filed a criminal complaint against Greenpeace. “We do not tolerate any violations of the law”said a VW spokeswoman in Emden. However, she emphasized that VW was still interested in a dialogue with the environmental protection organization. The criminal complaint suggests a change of heart among the Wolfsburgers: Initially, they reacted surprisingly moderately to the Greenpeace campaign at the end of May and initially waived a criminal complaint.

First of all, understanding and loose tweets

In order to protest against what they considered to be the slow change to electromobility at VW, the activists climbed over a fence onto a loading area in the port of Emden and removed the ignition keys from unlocked cars that were ready for shipping overseas. Shortly afterwards, the organization brought the keys to a glacier on the Zugspitze in Bavaria. There she was supposed to pick up VW boss Herbert Diess after her introduction.

Instead of directly filing a criminal complaint, Diess replied loosely on Twitter: “Gladly Zugspitze, but today I can’t manage anymore – I don’t want to use the plane. Coming soon in good weather?” And VW brand boss Ralf Brandstätter expressed understanding in a detailed comment on the action on his LinkedIn profile that “change is not going fast enough for many”.

Investigations are already running ex officio

Theft as part of the climate debate culture? The public prosecutor and the police had already seen it a little differently before the change of heart at VW: They are already investigating ex officio against around a dozen activists on charges of trespassing and particularly serious theft. In order to initiate criminal prosecution, today’s criminal complaint from VW would no longer have been necessary.

Investigations also after Greenpeace action at the EM

Last week, a Greenpeace campaign directed against VW failed at the German national soccer team’s first EM game. Shortly before the game against France kicked off, a paramotor plane staggered over the Munich arena and finally landed on the field. He came dangerously close to the audience, two men had to be hospitalized because of their injuries.

Numerous politicians condemned the action in the strongest possible terms. The police are investigating various offenses under the Criminal Code and the Aviation Act

Dream job astronaut More than 22,000 applications for space

Status: 23.06.2021 3:43 p.m.

Once into space – many have the dream. More than 22,000 people want to become astronauts and have applied to the European space agency ESA. However, this dream will only come true for six candidates. More than 22,000 people want a job in space: That’s how many applications the European Space Agency ESA received for astronaut training, the ESA announced. Among them are 3700 applicants from Germany. By the deadline last Friday, 5,400 women applied, which is a share of 24 percent – nine percentage points more than in the last call in 2008.

A “tough competition” for the dream job

The number of applicants also increased overall: in 2008 around 8,400 people were interested in training at ESA, less than half as many as now. The space agency now wants to select four to six candidates for astronaut training from the pool by October 2022 – but also a “reserve” of up to 20 people. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher spoke of tough competition. “It is a dream job to be an astronaut.”

The selection process has six stages – the skills of the candidates are examined with, among other things, tests in the cognitive and technical areas. Applicants must have at least a master’s degree in natural sciences, engineering, mathematics or computer science. There are requirements for height, the age limit is 50 years. The new space crew should not be known until the end of next year.

For the first time also “para-astronauts”

For the first time, the space agency also wants to train so-called para-astronauts – those with physical impairments such as short stature or a handicap of the legs. More than 200 applications were received for this.

The role model for many is the German astronaut Alexander Gerst, who became known as “Astro-Alex”. He spent around half a year on the International Space Station ISS in 2014 and 2018. On his second mission, he was the first German to take command of the space station

Auction at Sotheby’s www source code will be auctioned

Status: 23.06.2021 12:35 p.m.

It is basically the founding document of the World Wide Web: 9550 lines of programming code. Now the original files of the inventor Tim Berners-Lee come under the hammer.

From Peter Mücke, ARD Studio New York

“This changed everything” is what Sotheby’s calls the auction quite immodestly. Which, for once, shouldn’t be an exaggeration – because who would deny that the World Wide Web has actually changed almost everything. Even if its inventor Tim Berners-Lee was probably not aware of this when he presented his proposal for a system for the exchange of information on March 12, 1989.

It started at CERN

At that time, the British computer scientist was working at the European nuclear research center CERN and had the problem that parts of the laboratories are located on Swiss territory and other parts on French territory. Because the two countries had different network infrastructures, he developed a system that was supposed to facilitate the exchange of information across borders. This original programming code comprises 9550 lines and has since dictated the basic structures of the Internet: the page description language HTML and the transfer protocol HTTP and the identifier URI. A revolution – not just for the scientific world for which the project was actually intended.

Invented the Internet code: the British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee. Image: picture alliance / dpa

Digital collector’s item

Even if the code has long been “open source” – that is, freely accessible to everyone – it is now going under the hammer: the original files, provided with a time stamp and a signature from Berners-Lee, together with a digital poster that visualizes the source code and a letter from the scientist from 1989 in which he describes his project. Everything is conveniently packed in a so-called NFT – a “non-fungible token”. This is a kind of digital certificate of authenticity that is stored on a so-called blockchain. It should prove that the virtual object is unique – even if any number of digital copies can exist. The collector’s item of the digital age, so to speak.

Minimum bid $ 1000

As a computer scientist, it is only logical to auction his invention as such an NFT, says Berners-Lee. It feels right to put your signature under an all-digital artifact. The online auction lasts a week and starts with a minimum bid of $ 1000. The proceeds will go to a foundation.

After the auction houses had long blocked the auctioning of such NFTs, they have been doing this for some time good sales with digital art . Most recently, the auction of works by crypto artist Pak at Sotheby’s raised $ 17 million. At Christie’s, an NFT of a collage by digital artist Beeple changed hands for just under $ 70 million

background

Controversial herbicide glyphosate Checked and undesirable

As of: 23.06.2021 12:55 p.m.

A test report commissioned by the EU does not consider the weed killer glyphosate to be carcinogenic or dangerous to the genetic makeup. Nevertheless, the drug will probably disappear from the market in Europe.

From Michael Heussen, WDR

The specialist authorities from France, Sweden, Hungary and the Netherlands come to terms with glyphosate to a clear result : The pesticide is not carcinogenic, it does not damage the genetic material and it is neither dangerous for human organs nor for the hormonal balance. The four national authorities had assessed the safety of glyphosate on behalf of the European Commission on the basis of existing study results. You confirm the findings of test authorities around the world.

Nevertheless, it can be assumed that the drug will disappear from the market sooner or later. “Glyphosate is socially dead,” said a farmer official in the run-up to the farmers’ day in Berlin. The public had long since made its judgment – even with solid scientific arguments, the majority of consumers could not be convinced of the harmlessness of the substance. Since 2015, the judgment of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which belongs to the World Health Organization (WHO), has been hovering over the evaluation process like a sword of Damocles: Glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic”.

“Very low probability”

It is hardly surprising that the glyphosate producer Bayer sees it differently and welcomes the positive study results that have now been published. The chemical giant, which with the US-American Monsanto group also took over its glyphosate-containing bestseller Roundup, also rejects another argument – that the herbicide threatens biodiversity.

“Evaluated scientific studies as well as publicly available research reports show only a very low probability that the proper use of glyphosate-containing pesticides has indirect effects on the biodiversity of most food chains,” says the company. For example, the effects on microorganisms living in the soil, worms, birds, pollinating insects such as honey bees, frogs and other amphibians as well as fish have been investigated, according to a Bayer spokesman. So could it happen that glyphosate may also be used in the European Union beyond the approval period that expires at the end of 2022? Much speaks against it.

The Bayer Group sees itself confirmed by the current audit at EU level. Image: dpa

Federal government expects glyphosate to be phased out by 2024

The Federal Environment Ministry, led by Svenja Schulze (SPD), firmly expects that no more glyphosate-containing pesticides may be used from January 1, 2024 at the latest after the end of the one-year transition period. “In agreement with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, we continue to assume that the Federal Government (…) has decided to phase out glyphosate use in accordance with EU law,” it says WDR -Inquiry . About the corresponding amending regulation the Federal Council will decide next Friday. Until the end of the transition period, the application “may only take place if there are no alternative options, for example in the case of weeds that are difficult to control or areas at risk of erosion” – so it is in the voting proposal. Its use on areas that serve the general public, as well as in house and allotment gardens, is completely forbidden.

No further approval expected at EU level

Federal Minister of Agriculture Julia Klöckner (CDU) has also emphasized several times, a spokeswoman for her ministry told the WDR “It cannot be assumed that there will still be a majority after 2022 in favor of an extension of the glyphosate approval at EU level”.

In 2017, the dispute over glyphosate between the ministries almost led to a coalition crisis in Berlin. Because the former Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt (CSU) voted “yes” in the responsible EU committee in Brussels , although the then Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks (SPD) strictly against an extension of the approval for glyphosate was. The different evaluations of the current incumbents are not so obvious. But in the letters of reply to the questions of the WDR There are differences: “Glyphosate-containing pesticides are important for soil-conserving and water-saving cultivation of arable land, especially in areas prone to erosion,” writes the Klöckner spokeswoman. Schulze’s spokesman, on the other hand, emphasizes the dangers for biodiversity: “As a total herbicide, glyphosate destroys all plants indiscriminately and thus destroys the food and livelihood for many insect species such as butterflies and, indirectly, for field birds such as the skylark.”

EU assessment expected in 2022

At the European level, the European Food Safety Authority EFSA and the European Chemicals Agency ECHA will start public participation at the beginning of September – results are expected in one year.

Bayer AG continues to rely on the controversial herbicide. Europe does not play a major role as a sales market. The agricultural countries in North and South America are more important. In the USA around ten billion euros have to be paid in the context of a settlement to 96,000 plaintiffs who blame glyphosate for their cancer, and billions more will be due for future plaintiffs . Bayer therefore wants to limit its use for private customers – but Roundup should continue to be used in large-scale agriculture. Only the warning notices should be made clearly more visible. glyphosate The weed killer glyphosate was developed by Bayer subsidiary Monsanto and marketed under the brand name Roundup. The herbicide is also manufactured by other companies, as the patent has expired for years. Bayer is faced with around 9,300 plaintiffs because of the weed killer in the United States, as glyphosate is suspected of being carcinogenic. This is based on the assessment of the International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC), which classified the active ingredient as “probably carcinogenic” in 2015. The Bayer Group always emphasizes that glyphosate is safe when used properly and relies on a large number of scientific studies.

At the end of 2017, the EU Commission extended the approval of glyphosate by five years and now has to make a new decision. A first round of talks is to take place in September and then the EU member states will be involved. Against this background, the EU Commission commissioned the assessment group for glyphosate (consisting of the testing authorities in France, Hungary, the Netherlands and Sweden) to prepare a draft of the risk assessment. This 11,000-page draft was submitted to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in mid-June 2021. A final recommendation from EFSA can be expected in the second half of 2022 after the submission has been examined

Growing industry Billion dollar business with environmental protection

Status: 23.06.2021 10:45 a.m.

Environmental protection is increasingly becoming an economic factor, especially in manufacturing. According to the Federal Statistical Office, sales are increasing and hundreds of thousands of jobs have been created in Germany. Environmental and climate protection are increasingly proving to be a lucrative business for industry and service providers. As the Federal Statistical Office announced, the industry achieved sales of 73.6 billion euros in 2019, 3.1 percent more than in the previous year.

Three quarters of this was achieved in the manufacturing sector, first and foremost in mechanical engineering (22.1 billion euros), followed by electrical equipment (6.5 billion euros) and the manufacture of cars, trucks and buses – and parts for them (5.8 billion euros) Euro).

The construction and maintenance of apparatus for air pollution control has grown particularly strongly. Here sales climbed by more than a third to 10.5 billion euros. These were mainly products for exhaust gas and exhaust air treatment, such as catalytic converters. In the area of ​​electromobility (limited to cars, trucks and buses), sales of 2.5 billion euros were reported in 2019, 24 percent more than a year earlier.

Over 300,000 employees

Energy-saving drive and control technology, the construction of onshore wind turbines, the thermal insulation of buildings, and the renovation and construction of sewer systems also ensured business worth billions.

The growing importance of environmental protection for the German economy is also leading to the creation of new jobs, so-called “green jobs”. The number of employees who contributed goods or services to the industry was 305,000 in 2019. Compared to the previous year, the number rose by almost 16,000. More than two thirds of the employees in the sector were employed in manufacturing companies

75 years of Vespa Piaggios fully electric future

Status: 23.06.2021 8:15 a.m.

The Vespa, Piaggio’s most popular product, has been around for 75 years. Thanks to Corona, business is booming. Nevertheless, the Italian two-wheeler manufacturer wants to reposition itself strategically.

By Jörg Seisselberg, ARD-Studio Rome, currently in Milan

There is a good mood in Via Broletto. At the Milanese headquarters of Piaggio, not far from the famous cathedral, Maurizio Carletti is sitting in his office on the third floor and is bubbling over with optimism. “I hope this year will be the best,” says the Piaggio Vice President, “we are about to achieve results in 2021 that are really extremely remarkable.”

The figures for the first three months of the year: Piaggio sold over a fifth – 22 percent – more vehicles than in the same period of 2019 before the Covid crisis. Net sales are the highest in 14 years. These are golden times for the company.

Two-wheelers sought-after alternatives in times of crisis

One reason is that scooters and motorcycles are in demand in the corona pandemic – as an alternative to bus and train travel. Among other things, those responsible at Europe’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer had counted on it. At the plant in Pontedera, Tuscany, they kept working almost at full speed during the pandemic, apart from the weeks of complete lockdown in spring 2020. Now the Piaggio dealers have the vehicles that are in demand. In addition, analyst Monica Bosio says that Piaggio is benefiting from its platform strategy, which was introduced years ago, of lowering costs. The result: Piaggio is currently in the “best economic situation” since going public in 2006. “I would say,” says Bosio, “that the company is in excellent health”.

There is still room for improvement in e-mobility

From the height of its current success, the traditional Italian company is working on perhaps the most important future task: not to miss the connection to e-mobility. In the market for electric scooters and motorcycles, Piaggio has to make up ground, with market shares only in the lower single-digit percentage range. “Maybe there was a bit of a delay. But Piaggio is in the process of catching up,” said analyst Bosio.

One reason for the “delay” is that Piaggio has always positioned its vehicles in the upper part of the market in terms of price. So far, this also applies to the new world of e-scooters. Piaggio launched an electric-powered version of the iconic Vespa – and only sold a few copies. The E-Vespa is almost twice as expensive as some competing products. Next month, Piaggio will make the next attempt and want to start selling its new electric model in Europe. It’s called Piaggio One, was presented at the Beijing Auto Show and targets the entry-level electric market, which is dominated by models with a purchase price of up to 3000 euros. “One allows us to go into a price segment that we cannot reach with the Vespa at the moment,” says Vice President Carletti, confidently adding: “Now we will be represented in this segment, but with Piaggio quality.” The brand’s reputation, European production quality, the close international network of dealerships and workshops as well as a now competitive price should give Piaggio a new boost in e-mobility.

Conquer the sharing market with a cheaper model?

So far, the gasoline giant Piaggio is still lagging behind in the electric world. Also because sharing services and rental companies struggle with Piaggio’s expensive e-Vespa. This could change now, believes analyst Bosio: “With the Piaggio One you are trying to close the gap”. Sharing services have so far made up a large part of the e-scooter market in Europe. Piaggio is not competitive here in terms of price. “With Piaggio One, however, it cannot be ruled out,” says the analyst, “that there will be a presence again in this market.”

When asked, Piaggio Vice President Carletti, who is responsible for Europe among other things, does not rule out that Piaggio will also be active in the sharing sector with its new model. Getting active again – because six years ago the Italians tried their hand at the scooter sharing business. A model project with Piaggio MP3 scooters in Rome and Milan was quickly discontinued for cost reasons, shortly before the global sharing trend took off.

Standard replacement battery as the key to success

At Piaggio, the question of batteries is crucial for the future of e-scooters. Those in charge of the Italian company dream of e-scooter filling stations where drivers don’t have to spend a lot of time charging their batteries, but can quickly exchange an almost empty battery for a full one. The Piaggio managers do not consider it realistic for customers to charge their scooters for half an hour at a charging station. Vice-boss Carletti admits that he himself becomes restless if he has to wait a few minutes for his predecessor to finish at the gas station.

Therefore, the principle in the future of e-electric should be: pull the batteries out of your scooter, put them in a compartment at an e-charging point and pull out another, charged battery. Uniform battery connections in the industry would be a prerequisite. That is why Piaggio has teamed up with competitors KTM, Honda and Yamaha in a consortium for the vision of the battery swap. The goal: to develop standardized batteries for all future e-scooters and e-motorcycles

Train drivers union GDL resolves industrial action at the railway

Status: 23.06.2021 12:54 p.m.

With the beginning of the summer holidays in some federal states, rail passengers have to be prepared for strikes. The train drivers’ union GDL decided a labor dispute. The GDL intends to announce tomorrow exactly how it should look. At Deutsche Bahn, train driver strikes in the middle of the holiday season are getting closer. The union of German locomotive drivers (GDL) decided on concrete industrial action after failed negotiations with the employers’ association Move. GDL boss Claus Weselsky will not announce the exact scope and time of possible work stoppages until Thursday at a press conference in Berlin. According to the GDL, the corresponding committee resolutions are available. A railway spokeswoman asked the union to return to the negotiating table. There are well-founded offers for more wages and additional protection against dismissal on the table, about which the GDL top has so far refused serious negotiations.

First warning strike since December 2018

Immediately before the start of the school holidays in several federal states, the union is increasing the pressure on the management of the railway. The GDL declared the negotiations to have failed last Tuesday. It is the first warning strike on the railways since December 2018, when the Railway and Transport Union (EVG) called on its members to take part in a labor dispute. Both unions are fighting with each other for influence in the state company. The EVG had already reached a collective agreement last autumn. From the beginning of 2022, employees will receive 1.5 percent more money – little compared to collective bargaining rounds in better times. Compulsory redundancies are excluded until the end of 2023.

GDL wants more

The GDL wants to get more out of money and working hours. Both sides had moved somewhat towards each other before the failure of the negotiations. Based on the collective bargaining agreement for the public service, the GDL is calling for an income increase of 1.4 percent plus a corona bonus this year and a further 1.8 percent next year. The employees deserved more than compensation for the price increase, argues Weselsky.

According to its own statements, Deutsche Bahn had proposed increases in incomes as in the public sector, but in relation to the airport sector. An “emergency collective agreement” had been concluded for airports because of the slump in traffic. The 1.4 percent increase in income there will only be in October 2022, the other 1.8 percent not until April 2023. Employers will also have the option of reducing working hours by six percent in 2022. The level of the collective agreement for the public service is to be reached in October 2023

Rising US prices Fed chief is dampening Inflation concerns

Status: 23.06.2021 9:39 a.m.

The head of the US Federal Reserve sees the reason for the current high inflation primarily in the recovery of the economy. The unexpectedly strong effects would soon fade, Powell said.

By Torsten Teichmann, ARD studio Washington

The demand in many industries is greater than the supply, meanwhile the prices for raw materials in the USA are rising, employers are having difficulties filling positions: All these effects of the economic upswing at the end of the corona pandemic are stronger than assumed, the head of the Federal Reserve (Fed), Jerome Powell, granted. Nevertheless, there will be no inflation, as in the 1970s, Powell said at a hearing in the US House of Representatives. “These factors will fade over time and we will get back to where we want to go. We are watching this carefully,” he said.

Interest rate hikes planned for 2023

The goal is an inflation rate of just over two percent. In May there was inflation at five percent . The Fed announced last week by the end of 2023, the key interest rate is expected to be increased in two steps to want. But in the short term it remains in the range between 0 and 0.25 percent. Powell had to defend his monetary policy at the hearing in the House of Representatives. Republican MP Steve Scalise accused a visibly annoyed Fed chief that the cheap money policy was harmful to hard-working families.

Steve Scalise criticized Fed policies as harmful to families. Image: REUTERS

Powell replied that lower income groups in particular have not yet benefited from the upswing in the United States. “Real incomes at the lower end of the spectrum are stagnating compared to those at the top,” he said. “Mobility across all income groups has decreased in the US and is now behind that in most other industrialized countries.”

Fed expects economic growth of 6.5 percent

These differences would hold back the US economy and the country as a whole. And that although the Fed is currently assuming that the US economy will grow by 6.5 percent this year with the help of the government’s trillion-dollar stimulus packages

Market power of Chinese companies Beijing takes on tech companies

Status: 23.06.2021 12:18 p.m.

Numerous large and valuable tech companies have emerged in China in recent years. The government did its best to promote the rise. In the meantime, however, the feel-good phase is over.

By Steffen Wurzel, ARD-Studio Shanghai A small coffee shop in Shanghai’s Jing’an business district. The shop is popular, a take-away coffee costs the equivalent of two euros, a bargain for this location. The fact that shopkeeper Wu Jialing is still worth it is because he can sell a lot of coffee within a short period of time. Customers pay by smartphone. You simply scan the QR code that is hanging next to the coffee machine. “Paying by app is incredibly fast,” says the shop owner. Serving the cash register, looking for change, washing your hands after contacting the cash register and cash – all of this is eliminated. Correspondingly more sales are possible.

Revolutionized dealing with money

The payment apps Alipay and WeChat-Pay have revolutionized the way money is handled in China within a few years. Instead of struggling with the mostly old-fashioned, complicated and sluggish state banks, most Chinese people now fully rely on the smartphone apps of the domestic fintech companies Ant and Tencent to handle their everyday financial transactions.

It is no longer just about cashless payments. The Alipay app can now also be used to take care of investments, insurance and old-age provision. That too weakens the role of the state banks. “In the area of ​​finance, China has developed from a very backward place to a global pioneer in terms of fintech,” explains Martin Chorzempa of the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. Not only in the financial technology sector have new, powerful large corporations emerged in the country in recent years. There was also a start-up boom in other tech areas, financed partly by state and partly private venture capital.

Government rethinking corporate relationships

Whether online shopping, social media or delivery services: For years, companies such as Alibaba, Bytedance and Meituan have been able to rely on political and sometimes financial support from the government. But in the past few months the climate has changed, says Duncan Clark, head of the management consultancy BDA in the Chinese capital Beijing. “It seems that the government in China is rethinking its relationship with the big tech companies.”

Obviously, some of the big tech companies have grown too big too quickly for the communist leadership – and above all too powerful. The fact that cartel and supervisory authorities are taking action against the market power of large corporations such as Google, Amazon or Facebook is also true in Europe and the USA. But: “What makes the matter special in China are the outstanding position of the Communist Party and the tensions that exist again and again in China: Tensions between the large state corporations supervised by the CP on the one hand and the private sector on the other.” explains Clark.

Ant IPO stopped

These tensions became apparent in China over the past year. In several cases, the state and party leadership slowed down the emerging private companies. Ant, the parent company of the payment and financial services app Alipay, wanted to go public last November, for example. It would have been the largest IPO in world economic history. With him, the Chinese fintech company Ant would have collected around 30 billion euros. But two days before the equity debut in Hong Kong and Shanghai, the government surprisingly stopped the IPO. Ant does not meet certain regulations, it was announced. Further details: none. But in the following weeks it became clear that the cancellation of the Ant IPO probably came from the very top. China’s state and party leadership was apparently bothered by statements by Ant boss Ma Yun, alias Jack Ma, who said in a speech in Shanghai shortly before the planned IPO: “As far as the financial sector is concerned, we are still beginners in China. We do have Big banks – they are like big rivers. But what we mainly need are small lakes, ponds, streams and smaller rivers. ”

Open criticism crosses a red line

China’s financial system, previously dominated by large state banks, harbors risks, Ma criticized. That is unhealthy. A statement that many experts would endorse, but from the point of view of the communist leadership, the previously ubiquitous model manager had crossed a red line with his open criticism of the state banks.

The IPO of his fintech company Ant burst. Ma himself had to withdraw to a large extent from the public.

Several company directors resigned

“At first it was thought that this was all about Jack Ma because he was so open about himself, and about his company Ant,” says management consultant Clark, who has also written a book about the rise of Jack Ma. “But since then we have seen much more extensive crackdown by the authorities against large tech companies in China.”

Other prominent startup founders and tech billionaires resigned. For example, Zhang Yiming, the head of the TikTok parent company Bytedance, and Huang Zheng, who ran the emerging Chinese online shopping group Pinduoduo. The reasons for the resignations are unclear, but most industry observers believe government pressure played a role. “The Communist Party is profiting enormously from the consumption boom that all these tech companies have triggered in China,” Clark analyzes. “But this is not a one-way street. We see a certain double dependency between the CP and the tech companies: Both somehow need each other, but in the end the party says: ‘You need us more.'” It is becoming increasingly clear that China’s leadership is no longer allowing private tech companies to get away with as much as it has before. They too must submit to the Communist Party’s claim to leadership. Criticism will not be tolerated, however subtle it may be.

Lost 25 billion euros in one post

This was recently also experienced at the delivery service group Meituan, against which the antitrust authorities are investigating. Meituan boss Wang Xing posted a historical satirical text that is more than 1000 years old in early May. This text is about criticism of a former Chinese emperor. Some understood the post of the company boss and multi-billionaire as a hidden criticism of today’s rulers. The Meituan boss deleted the posted text, but Meituan’s stock market price plummeted by almost 15 percent, and the company lost around 25 billion euros in value in one fell swoop. The fact that Xing then donated around ten percent of his personal fortune, around 1.8 billion euros, to a charity is understood as an attempt at penance. “Many company bosses in China are currently examining how they can get rid of outstanding titles or even parts of their assets,” reports management consultant Clark. “It’s about behaving as inconspicuously as possible, no longer being the tallest tree in the forest. Because it is the first to be felled.”

Interview

Fünf Jahre nach Brexit-Votum “Über Nacht war alles anders”

Stand: 23.06.2021 03:57 Uhr

Vor fünf Jahren fand das Referendum über Großbritanniens EU-Mitgliedschaft statt. Einen Tag später hieß es: “We’re out!” London-Korrespondentin Annette Dittert über den Schock nach dem Votum und die Folgen, die zunehmend sichtbar werden. tagesschau.de: Dass das Referendum über einen EU-Austritt Großbritanniens 2016 wirklich zugunsten der Brexiteers ausgehen würde, hielten hierzulande viele bis zuletzt für unwahrscheinlich – umso ungläubiger fielen die Blicke am “Morgen danach” aus. Wie erinnern Sie sich an den Moment der Wahrheit in Großbritannien? Annette Dittert: Am Morgen nach dem Referendum war ich im Zug von Edinburgh nach London. Das Abteil war voller Menschen, alle seltsam ruhig; man spürte eine gewisse Schockstarre. Als mein Telefon klingelte und sie mich Deutsch sprechen hörten, wurde es plötzlich ganz still – und als ich auflegte, brach eine junge Frau mir gegenüber in Tränen aus: “Es tut mir so leid, es war nicht unsere Absicht, dass Sie jetzt wieder nach Deutschland zurückmüssen!” Auf die Idee, dass sich auch für mich jetzt einiges ändern würde, war ich da selbst noch gar nicht gekommen. Und es ging so weiter an diesem seltsamen Tag. Als ich zu Hause ankam, stand auf meinem Hausboot ein großer Blumenstrauß mit einer Notiz der Nachbarn: “Please don’t go!” – “Bitte geh nicht!” So wurde mir allmählich klar, was der Brexit für mich und die anderen EU-Bürger bedeuten würde: dass wir in Großbritannien ab jetzt nicht mehr so einfach und selbstverständlich “dazugehören” würden.

Zur Person Annette Dittert berichtet für die ARD aus London – erst als Korrespondentin, zwischenzeitlich als Autorin, unter anderem im Videoblog “London Calling”, und seit 2019 wieder als Korrespondentin und Studioleiterin.

In den Wochen danach änderte sich dann das Lebensgefühl auf der Insel. Für mich war das oft so, als ob plötzlich ein dunkler Schatten über dem Land liege. Man spürte die Teilung des Landes, die Wut und den Ärger der “Remainers”, die für den EU-Verbleib gestimmt hatten. Der Triumph der anderen, die aber noch gar nicht wirklich wussten, was sie mit diesem Brexit nun anfangen sollten, war leiser, aber für viele “Remainers” dennoch schwer zu ertragen. Familien begannen sich zu zerstreiten, einige meiner Nachbarn sprechen bis heute kaum mehr miteinander, und ich habe auch selbst einige Freunde verloren. Es war einfach über Nacht alles anders. Und dieses freundliche, fröhliche, alle willkommen heißende England, das noch 2012 die Olympischen Sommerspielen zu einem solchen Fest hatte werden lassen, verschwand in den Jahren danach immer mehr. tagesschau.de : Waren die Briten denn im ersten Moment nicht um sich selbst besorgt – oder auch hocherfreut, falls sie für den Brexit gestimmt hatten? Dittert : In den Straßen von London hat an diesem Tag niemand gejubelt. Selbst die “Brexiteers” waren ein bisschen verblüfft und schockiert, denn sie konnten selbst nicht glauben, dass sie das geschafft haben. Boris Johnson war an dem Tag erst einmal verschwunden. Er hatte, glaube ich, selbst nicht mit dem Ausgang gerechnet und wollte lediglich durch ein starkes Abschneiden beim Referendum seine Position innerhalb der Tory-Partei stärken. In der allgemeinen Verblüffung wunderte sich auch kaum jemand darüber, dass Premier David Cameron das Handtuch warf – auch wenn das im Nachhinein einfach unverantwortlich seinem Land gegenüber war, das er so sicher in die tiefste Krise seit der Nachkriegszeit gestürzt hat.

Jubel auf einer Wahlparty der Brexit-Kampagne Leave.eu am 23.06.2016. Bild: dpa

Lange Gesichter hingegen bei Unterstützern der “Stronger In”-Kampagne gegen einen EU-Austritt in der Londoner Royal Festival Hall. Bild: AFP

“Ganze Industriezweige kämpfen ums Überleben”

tagesschau.de : Auf den Schock folgten zähe, jahrelange Verhandlungen über ein Austrittsabkommen. Seit dem 1. Mai 2021 ist der Partnerschaftsvertrag mit der EU endgültig in Kraft. Welche Veränderungen sind nun im Alltag spürbar? Dittert: Vieles ist wesentlich komplizierter geworden. Wenn wir zum Beispiel im ARD-Studio London EU-Bürger beschäftigen wollen, müssen wir für sie ein Arbeitsvisum beantragen. Das ist ein Riesenaufwand und auch teuer. Kleinere Firmen können sich das kaum mehr leisten. Und auch umgekehrt ist es für die Briten schwieriger, von hier aus noch für längere Zeit auf den europäischen Kontinent zu reisen oder dort zu studieren, weil die britische Regierung außerdem die Mitgliedschaft im Erasmus-Programm beendet hat. Gerade für die Jüngeren ist das bitter. Zur Zeit merkt man das noch gar nicht so, die Pandemie verdeckt viel. Aber diese Brüche mit Kontinentaleuropa werden zunehmend spürbar werden, wenn die Reiseeinschränkungen erst einmal vorbei sind. Erst dann, glaube ich, wird den Briten so richtig bewusst werden, was das neue Verhältnis zur EU für sie bedeutet.

tagesschau.de: Aus Teilen der britischen Wirtschaft ist ja schon zu hören, dass ihnen das ausgehandelte Brexit-Abkommen bislang zum Nachteil gereicht.

Dittert: Ja, das sind ganze Industriezweige, die derzeit wirklich ums Überleben kämpfen. Vor allem kleinere Betriebe kommen mit den komplizierten Zollformularen einfach nicht zurecht. Gerade die Fischer wurden vor dem Brexit ja sehr umworben: dass sie dann mehr fischen könnten, weil sie nicht mehr die Gewässer mit den EU-Fischern teilen müssten. Nicht gesagt wurde ihnen, dass sie ihren Fisch dann nicht mehr verkaufen können, da die Exporte in die EU durch aufwändigen Papierkram beim Zoll jetzt für sie kaum mehr möglich sind. Die britische Regierung lässt die britischen Fischer bislang weitestgehend allein damit – und viele werden das nicht überleben. Ähnlich trifft es Betriebe, die auf EU-Arbeitnehmer angewiesen sind, die jetzt nicht mehr kommen können. Vor allem die Gastronomie in London und Umgebung. Aber auch hier ist das noch nicht im öffentlichen Bewusstsein angekommen, da viele Hotels und Restaurants noch geschlossen haben. Aber nach der Pandemie wird das spürbarer werden. Neue Handelsverträge auszuhandeln wird viele Jahre dauern, und bis die Loslösung von der EU dann wirklich positive Effekte für die britische Wirtschaft zeigen könnte, wenn überhaupt, werden viele, viele Jahre vergehen.

“Die meisten haben sich damit abgefunden”

tagesschau.de: Wie präsent sind da die Stimmen der glühenden Brexiteers noch?

Dittert: In der Nacht vom 31. Januar, als der Brexit vollzogen wurde, gab es eine kleine Jubelfeier auf dem Platz vor dem Parlament. Die war aber sehr schnell wieder vorbei. Johnson ging nicht einmal vor die Tür der 10 Downing Street – und auch sonst wollte sich in dieser Nacht außer Nigel Farage keiner so recht mit den Brexit-Anhängern sehen lassen. Die “Remainers” saßen währenddessen zu Hause; viele, die ich gut kenne, haben das bis heute schlecht verkraftet. Die meisten haben sich damit abgefunden, aber das Land bleibt gespalten in dieser Frage. Ich würde sagen, mindestens die Hälfte der Briten ist nach wie vor sehr unglücklich über die Entscheidung und ihre Folgen, und ich vermute auch, dass das so bleiben wird.

Das Gesicht von Nigel Farage prangte eins auf einem Wahlkampfbus für den Brexit. Nach dem Votum gab der UKIP-Chef schnell seinen Rücktritt bekannt (Archivbild vom 26.05.2016). Bild: AFP

tagesschau.de: Was wird der zunehmende Unmut für den heutigen Premier Johnson bedeuten? Dittert: Es wird interessant, inwieweit es ihm weiter gelingt, den Briten seinen harten Brexit als Erfolg zu verkaufen. Bisher hat er die Nachteile für die genannten Industriezweige stets bestritten, Fragen von Journalisten dazu wischt er vom Tisch oder beantwortet sie erst gar nicht. Und, wie gesagt, die Pandemie verdeckt im Moment noch viele der negativen Brexit-Folgen. Wenn das vorbei ist, dann wird es interessant, ob die Stimmung doch noch kippt. Ich bin da allerdings ein bisschen skeptisch. Denn dazu bräuchte es eine starke Opposition – und die gibt es derzeit nicht. Die Labour-Partei hat ja im Dezember 2019 mit für den Brexit-Deal gestimmt. Damit haben sie sich zu “Komplizen” gemacht und können den Deal und seine Folgen für die britische Wirtschaft deshalb jetzt nicht so hart kritisieren, wie es eine Opposition eigentlich müsste.

“Brüche zwischen den vier Nationen verschärft”

tagesschau.de: Wie sind die Aussichten, dass sich aus den anderen Landesteilen Großbritanniens Widerstand formieren wird? Schottland etwa macht aus seinen Unabhängigkeitswünschen ja keinen Hehl…

Dittert: Der Brexit zerstört momentan vieles – ob er auch schöpferische Wirkung entfaltet, wird sich zeigen. Aber er hat vor allem Fliehkräfte im fragilen Gebilde des Vereinigten Königreichs freigesetzt. Die Schotten sind eine zutiefst sozialdemokratische Gesellschaft, die Johnsons zunehmend von englischem Nationalismus geprägten Regierungsstil skeptisch gegenüberstehen. Andererseits ist die Unabhängigkeit für die Schotten nach dem Brexit sehr viel schwieriger und komplizierter geworden: Sie hätten dann ja eine EU-Außengrenze quer durch die Insel. Bei der engen Verflechtung zwischen Schottland und England würde das jetzt sehr kompliziert.

Auch in Wales ist die Unabhängigkeitsbewegung stärker geworden, wenn auch nicht so stark wie in Schottland. Und in Nordirland gibt es durch das verhandelte Abkommen jetzt ebenfalls immer größere Probleme: Johnson hat die Grenze ja in die Irische See verlegt und dadurch Nordirland im Grunde vom britischen Festland abgetrennt. Das verschärft die Spannungen zwischen den verschiedenen Fraktionen in Nordirland.

Ganz generell kann man deshalb sagen: Der Brexit hat die Brüche, die es zwischen den vier Nationen vorher auch schon gab, verschärft – und es ist nicht mehr unvorstellbar, dass das Vereinigte Königreich in seiner jetzigen Form tatsächlich irgendwann auseinanderfällt. Die Fragen stellte Jasper Steinlein, tagesschau.de.

MGM and Amazon Is the takeover in danger of failing?

Status: 22.06.2021 10:18 p.m.

Actually, the mega-deal between the traditional MGM studio and the online giant Amazon was already dry. Now the takeover is to be checked again by the US Trade Commission FTC.

From Marcus Schuler, ARD studio Los Angeles

The Wall Street Journal reports that the new head of the FTC Trade Commission, Lina Khan, wants to take another closer look at the planned takeover of the renowned Hollywood studio by Amazon. The reason for this is an already existing competition procedure against Amazon, which the FTC has initiated.

The group actually wanted to take over the 97-year-old film studio from Jeff Bezos for the equivalent of 6.91 billion euros. This was intended to increase the Amazon Prime film library – Amazon’s streaming service – in order to be able to remain competitive with the video platforms of Netflix, Disney Plus and HBO Max. More than 4,000 productions are slumbering in the MGM archive – including all James Bond films. In addition, Amazon is increasingly producing its own content for its Prime video platform. In addition, the company has attracted attention with its aggressive purchasing policy in US sports rights. Among other things, it holds broadcasting rights to the US National Football League (NFL). Compared to other providers, however, their own library of entertainment goods such as series and feature films is relatively small.

In the worst case, no approval

The takeover has now suffered a setback. In the worst case scenario, it could not be approved. Only a few weeks ago, after consulting the Justice Department, the FTC reserved the right to examine the takeover more closely. Neither the US agency nor the online company wanted to comment on the process.

In the US, a great deal of competition has arisen for dominance in the streaming market. This market has so far been dominated by Netflix. The new head of the FTC, the 32-year-old Khan, caused a sensation five years ago with a legal article in the Yale Law Journal. In this she had described what she believed was anti-competitive behavior on the part of Amazon. She came to the conclusion that the current US competition laws are too weak to be able to put a constantly expanding company like Amazon in their place.

Less freedom for tech companies

In the past, Khan had advocated curbing large dominant companies time and again. This is one of the few overlaps shared by the two parties represented in Congress. Both Democrats and Republicans want to tighten the power of tech companies like Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon.

Khan was appointed to office by US President Joe Biden a few days ago. She is expected to regulate the big tech companies in Silicon Valley and on the US West Coast more tightly

BioNTech Annual General Meeting Vaccine effective against mutants

Status: 06/22/2021 6:13 p.m.

BioNTech boss Sahin uses the vaccine manufacturer’s general meeting to spread good news: Production will be increased and the vaccine also protects against virus variants. In view of the growing spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus, which is considered to be more dangerous, many people are wondering how the effectiveness of the various vaccines is doing in this regard. At today’s Annual General Meeting, CEO Ugur Sahin gave the all-clear for BioNTech’s product: “There is currently no evidence that our vaccine needs to be adapted to the variants in circulation,” he said. That does not mean that the company is stopping development: According to Sahin, BioNTech is working on flexible processes in the areas of technology, production and approval.

Constant analysis

In order to be prepared and to be able to react quickly if a third dose should be required to boost existing vaccinations or to adapt to a new virus strain, BioNTech constantly analyzes the effectiveness of the vaccine against newly emerging variants, the CEO explained.

Sahin also commented on the subject of booster vaccinations: It is not yet known when and how often a booster will be necessary. But he assumes “that a third vaccination is of great value for boosting immunity,” said Sahin. Knowledge about the corona virus is steadily increasing. “We observe that immunity will decrease over time and new variants will emerge.”

Sahin against patent release

The one raised by US President Joe Biden and other politicians Request for the release of patents to enable license-free vaccine production in developing countries, the BioNTech boss rejected. It is important to be able to make the vaccine available worldwide “as quickly and as comprehensively as possible”. However, raw materials are currently the “limiting factor”, not patents.

BioNTech is working with partners to deliver the vaccine cheaply to developing countries. However, a patent release would not bring additional amounts of vaccine. The production of the vaccine is very complex and consists of around 50,000 work steps.

Production is increased

During the Annual General Meeting, Sahin also commented on production: The BioNTech boss confirmed that the company, together with its US partner Pfizer, is aiming for a production capacity of up to three billion vaccine doses this year.

In the coming year 2022 it should be more than three billion. BioNTech will manufacture at least half of this. To date, BioNTech and Pfizer have shipped more than 700 million doses of their Covid-19 vaccine to over 100 countries worldwide.

Dividend is possible

The shareholders should also benefit from the billions in sales generated with the corona vaccine. Chief Financial Officer Sierk Poetting said that in the next financial year it should be checked whether and in what amount a dividend is possible.

However, the strategic priority for 2021 is the reinvestment of the capital in order to further advance innovations in various therapeutic areas and technologies as well as our corporate development, said Poetting. The Mainz biotechnology company achieved a net profit of 1.1 billion euros on sales of 2.05 billion euros in the first quarter of this year .

New production facilities

There was also news from BioNTech outside of the Annual General Meeting. The European Medicines Agency’s Committee on Medicinal Products for Human Use gives the go-ahead for two more production facilities to manufacture the joint corona vaccine from Biontech and Pfizer.

One becomes accordingly in Reinbek, Schleswig-Holstein, operated by Allergopharma, the parent company of Dermapharm , the other in the Swiss stone from Novartis Pharma. The work can be started immediately, since no approval from the EU Commission is required

Trend reversal in local transport The train discovers the surface

Status: 06/22/2021 6:53 p.m.

Deutsche Bahn reactivates 20 disused routes and expands again into the area. The goal: Local transport should also become more attractive for people in rural areas.

Of Ulrich Crüwell, rbb

Despite all – partly justified – criticism of Deutsche Bahn AG: No other means of transport is under the same economic pressure as rail transport. “The rail is the only transport infrastructure that is shrinking. It is the only transport infrastructure that has to pay off. If we apply these standards to motorways, some roads in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania would have to be demolished immediately,” says Dirk Flege, the managing director of Allianz per rail.

The rail network is growing for the first time in ninety years

But the shrinking of the rail network has finally come to an end, says Flege and speaks of a turning point. The railway is no longer dismantling, but the network is growing – as the federal government has longed for.

In their coalition agreement, the Union and the SPD agreed to double the number of passengers by 2030. But despite political will, the rail network became smaller and smaller and the road network increasingly dense by 2020. Many smaller cities lost their rail connections. But now Deutsche Bahn is putting 20 disused routes with a total length of 245 kilometers back into operation. “This is clearly just the beginning,” announced Jens Bergmann, head of planning at the DB Netz division. For people who live in the countryside, this could be good news.

Historical undesirable developments

For Martin Henke from the Association of German Transport Companies, it is even a historic one, because it ends an undesirable development that began ninety years ago with the construction of the first motorway. In the fifties and seventies there were real shutdown programs for railway lines, according to Henke. The Germans clearly preferred the car and built one of the densest motorway networks in the world.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, it was a matter of optimizing, and politicians wanted the railway to be privatized as a stock exchange company. Rural local transport turned into a losing business. Deutsche Bahn speaks of a downward spiral: “If demand fell, little was done to make the route more attractive for passengers or freight traffic again.” According to Allianz pro Schiene, more than 15 percent of the rails were decoupled between 1990 and 2020 alone. But the mood in the country seems to have changed. The rail is experiencing broad political and social support, says association representative Henke. And this mood could also change the group.

“Every kilometer of track is active climate protection”

Among other things, the railway is putting closed connections in sparsely populated regions in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein back into operation. Whether big money can be made with it seems at least questionable. But apparently that is no longer that important – what counts is political and social will.

Bergmann, board member of Deutsche Bahn, formulates the corporate objective as follows: “We want to attract more people to the railways, get more goods on the rails. Every kilometer of track is active climate protection.”

Balance of the Wirecard U Committee Is Scholz complicit?

Status: 06/22/2021 5:00 p.m.

The Wirecard committee of inquiry presented its report one year after the accounting scandal became known. But who is politically responsible remains open. The opposition and the Union accuse Finance Minister Scholz. For years the Wirecard Group has been highly praised – an innovative business model, a fantastic sales development, the hope in the Dax. And then almost two billion euros disappeared from the balance sheet practically overnight. “It is a criminal case,” says Matthias Hauer, chairman of the Union in the committee of inquiry. And after seven months of studying the files and questioning witnesses, it is clear that the Union is primarily responsible for the bankruptcy of billions: “Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz and the management of the Federal Ministry of Finance bear political responsibility for the Wirecard scandal,” said Hauer. They knowingly looked the other way when the rumors about irregularities in the Wirecard management made the rounds. Fabio de Masi from the Left puts it even more drastically: “This billions of dollars lie, this Wirecard illusion factory was only conceivable because they organized a political network to hide the fact that there wasn’t much substance under the covers. “ De Masi recalled the countless investors who would have lost a total of more than 20 billion euros in share assets due to the Wirecard bankruptcy.

Opposition demands political consequences

Florian Toncar from the FDP also thinks that someone from politics should have apologized to the injured party: “I think it is a major annoyance for many citizens that in the end there is no one in such scandals who will also stand up admits his own mistakes. ”

But back to Olaf Scholz. As a witness in the committee of inquiry, he had considerable gaps in memory, complained the spokesman for the Union and opposition parties. Lisa Paus from the Greens thinks that Olaf Scholz did not exactly recommend himself as a candidate for Chancellor: “I think that especially in these times Germany needs a leader who can also admit mistakes. And I think that is something that Olaf Scholz is not given. ” Kay Gottschalk from the AfD was the chairman of the committee of inquiry – Union and the other opposition factions attested to having carried out the office professionally and with colleagues. In the matter he also misses political consequences at a higher level. “A minister would have resigned 20 years ago. And that is a cultural change that we are experiencing here in Germany that I do not like,” said Gottschalk.

SPD defends Scholz

And the SPD? It takes its candidate for chancellor out of the political line of fire. The allegations against Scholz are just election campaign noise, says finance politician Cansel Kiziltepe: “Olaf Scholz bears no political responsibility for the Wirecard scandal. And the allegations that have been made have not been confirmed.”

On Friday there is still a Bundestag debate on the political assessment of the scandal – then the public prosecutor has the floor. She is investigating the former management of Wirecard for, among other things, embezzlement, falsification of accounts and fraud committed by gang. It is not yet possible to foresee when there will be criminal proceedings

comment

Scholz in the Wirecard scandal Political leadership from yesterday

Status: 22.06.2021 5:50 p.m.

Finance Minister Scholz bears political responsibility for the Wirecard scandal. An apology would be appropriate. Because of his antiquated understanding of political leadership, there won’t be.

A comment by Tobias Betz, ARD capital studio

After eight months of the committee of inquiry, the question of political responsibility remains. And that is a fundamental question of political culture. Because there is not a word of regret from the government. Let’s not kid ourselves: this is shameful, but the reality.

The finance minister is politically responsible

Let’s take a look at the situation: The Wirecard case is one of the biggest financial scandals in Germany. At least 24 billion euros in damage. Everything happened in front of the eyes of the responsible authorities, which did not do their job in any way and at any time. And that is why there is certainly someone who is politically responsible – and that is the Federal Minister of Finance in this financial scandal. But Olaf Scholz makes it easy for himself. Not responsible, not involved, more like an observer. He could very well have – and should have – intervened. Because the Ministry of Finance has the legal and technical supervision of the Bafin. This is the financial supervisory authority. And she made gross miscalculations; she even supported Wirecard at times, reported journalists who had clues.

Not ready for self-reflection

Mistakes have been made. And the Scholz Ministry is responsible for ensuring that the financial supervision process works. If it just doesn’t work, then Scholz, as a minister, could be the size and have the courage to admit that mistakes have happened here. Honest words of regret. Society doesn’t really ask that much, a “Mea Culpa!”, “My mistake!” Is often enough. But Scholz is apparently not ready for this kind of error culture, critical self-reflection.

Don’t make any mistakes, least of all admit none

Maybe he’s not ready to do so because of the election campaign. Just don’t make any mistakes, least of all admit any mistakes. Protect yourself, after all, he is a candidate for chancellor. Namely one who advertises to have a lot of government experience. But leadership doesn’t include ironing out and fending off everything. That is an understanding of political leadership from the past. Mistakes happen, people make mistakes and they are allowed to admit them. That would be honest and brave. But as a consequence, calls for resignation like those from the AfD are out of place.

The Chancellor apologized

That promotes this unspeakable error culture in politics. If every mistake immediately costs the post, then it is already clear that there can be no political Mea Culpa. Chancellor Angela Merkel once broke with this culture of mistakes. During the lockdown policy at Easter. She had to withdraw an overnight decision to introduce an additional public holiday. But she didn’t do that quietly and without comment. No, she stood in front of Parliament and apologized in public for it. Apparently this remains an exception. But the Chancellor has the format of a chancellor. Editorial note Comments generally reflect the opinion of the respective author and not that of the editors

Wirecard scandal What’s left of the U committee

As of: 06/22/2021 9:16 a.m.

A year ago, the financial services provider Wirecard went bankrupt. A U-Committee of the Bundestag tried to find out why controllers and supervision failed. The committee has now completed its work.

From Tobias Betz, ARD capital studio

Head of authorities fired, insider trading uncovered: A reform should turn Germany’s financial supervision inside out. The committee of inquiry into the Wirecard scandal has initiated a lot. More than 100 witnesses were questioned and thousands of documents turned over.

Florian Toncar did this for the FDP: The investigative committee had come to a clear conclusion. “We made it very clear that the Wirecard case was not a natural disaster that no one could have foreseen or averted,” he says. There were hints and people who warned early on. The disturbing thing about the Wirecard case is that all of this could have happened with the eyes of sight and under the inspectors’ radar.

BaFin seal of approval?

The central accusation of the opposition: The Federal Financial Services Agency (BaFin) did not investigate early indications of possible irregularities at Wirecard. Instead, according to experts, the authority made fatal misjudgments.

BaFin was convinced that Wirecard was being blackmailed. That is why the authorities imposed a ban on the short sale of Wirecard shares in February 2019. BaFin had never before issued such a speculation ban with a single share. Many market participants understood this signal as a kind of seal of approval: You can trust Wirecard, the company is clean!

Many small investors then got on board. When the rumors that had been circulating for years about inflated balance sheets at Wirecard turned out to be true in June 2020, the share price plummeted. Wirecard was broke. Many small investors lost everything.

The minister and the chancellor had to testify

Since then, the public prosecutor has been investigating, among other things, gang fraud. Former board members were arrested and one of them, Jan Marsalek, is still on the run to this day. Because the control authorities are subordinate to ministries, the opposition’s criticism was directed at the government, says Lisa Paus, who sits on the committee of inquiry for the Greens. “Wirecard was also an auditor scandal. The supervision was under the economics minister Peter Altmaier,” says Paus. Above all, Wirecard is a broad supervisory scandal overall. “The financial supervision was under the SPD finance minister Olaf Scholz.”

Ministers Scholz and Altmaier had to testify in the committee of inquiry. Chancellor Angela Merkel was also questioned for hours. None of them admitted mistakes. On the other hand, the work of the investigative committee certainly increased the pressure on the Federal Finance Minister to completely reform the financial supervisory authority BaFin, which is subordinate to him, including a change at the top of BaFin.

Bankers lost their reputations

Financial expert Fabio De Masi from the Left Party is certain that the results of the committee of inquiry are not only politically interesting: “The auditors’ mistakes will play a role in class actions by small investors,” he says. Never before have so many heads rolled at the head of authorities in such a short time.

Authority managers, bankers, analysts, fund managers and BaFin employees – they lost their jobs, their bonuses, their reputation. These are the first concrete effects of the committee of inquiry into the Wirecard scandal. The witness chair on the investigative committee was therefore soon more feared by some than the dock in a criminal court

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Investment opportunities What to do with the savings in inflation?

Status: 22.06.2021 12:28 p.m.

Even in times of rising prices and zero interest rates, many Germans have their money in savings books or call money accounts. But if you want to protect your savings from inflation, you need alternatives.

From Lothar Gries, tagesschau.de

Consumer prices in Germany rose by 2.5 percent in May – more than they have been for almost ten years. At the same time, there is practically no more interest on overnight and fixed-term deposits, the most popular form of investment among Germans. Cash is also in great demand. The value of the notes issued by the Bundesbank rose by 9.5 percent last year. A similarly high growth rate was last seen in 2014. At the end of May 2021, banknotes issued by the Bundesbank to the value of 839 billion euros were in circulation, 52 billion or 6.6 percent more than a year earlier. But if you want your money to grow, you have to consider other investments than hoarding cash or putting it on savings accounts. There is no shortage of alternative investment opportunities. The long lucrative federal bonds are no longer one of them. The yields on these securities have fallen below zero since August 2019. Investors who lend money to the German state have to pay for it – a turning point, as they still got a return of five percent at the beginning of the millennium. “Today federal bonds have no place in assets that are designed to maintain or increase in value,” explains Ulrich Kater, chief economist at Deka-Bank, which is part of the savings bank group.

No prospect of rising interest rates

Investors should also not give in to the hope that consumer prices, which have recently risen again, will lead to higher interest rates. Inflation is likely to accelerate further until the end of the year, but the European Central Bank (ECB) has repeatedly emphasized that it will adhere to the zero interest rate policy. The priority is to stimulate the economy again after the corona crisis, said ECB boss Christine Lagarde. In addition, the current rise in inflation is only temporary.

Investments that are considered to be risk-free, such as savings books and fixed-term deposit accounts, no longer offer any prospect of positive returns for the time being. In order for the saved to experience growth, stocks in particular offer themselves as a way out. Fund savings plans, for example, are a good way to get started. Investors pay regular amounts, in many cases from 25 euros upwards, into an investment fund in which various securities are bundled and which is managed by professionals. Alternatively, of course, investors also have the option of taking their money into their own hands and buying shares in individual companies on their own. In the past few years, you couldn’t go wrong when buying technology stocks.

Alternative ETF?

If you don’t dare to do this, but still want to invest in stocks, you can invest your money in a so-called Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). These funds replicate a stock market index (often with so-called derivatives). This can be the German share index (DAX) or other indices such as the US leading index Dow Jones. The performance of an ETF is closely linked to the respective index. As a result, the fees are usually lower than with other funds. Investing in the stock market is of course not without risk: If the index behind an ETF falls because the stocks in it fall, the fund also loses value.

Nevertheless, ETFs are enjoying growing popularity. According to industry experts, there are almost 7,000 of these funds. This is also due to the low interest rate phase. It ensures that more people invest their money in funds than before. Many have done well with this strategy and have achieved better returns than they would have achieved on a call money account. For example, an ETF on the DAX alone has generated a return of 55 percent in the last five years – provided that you kept your nerve at the beginning of the pandemic and did not sell when the markets collapsed by a third in spring 2020.

Gold and open real estate funds

A popular investment, especially in times of crisis, is gold. The corona pandemic has confirmed this again. By early August 2020, the price of a troy ounce (31.1 grams) had risen to an all-time high of $ 2,063, around a third more than at the beginning of the year. But then things went downhill again, to $ 1,684 in March. It is currently $ 1,775. In fact, gold is extremely volatile because the price is mainly driven by demand, because it has no “intrinsic value” like companies do. The precious metal is therefore not considered a reliable investment. There is also the often unsafe storage of bars or coins.

Those who shy away from the capital market and don’t believe in precious metals can also invest their money in real estate funds. They collect capital from investors and invest it in offices, shopping centers, residential buildings or logistics centers. The so-called open real estate funds are particularly popular with private investors. The income from such a fund, i.e. the rental income after deducting costs, is distributed to the owners as profit. With well-managed funds, an annual return of four to five percent can be achieved, a little more than the inflation rate.

Sometimes there is a risk of total loss

But the system has a catch. A minimum holding period of 24 months applies to open-ended real estate funds. An investor must also announce the return of his money to the fund company. Then he will get his system back after twelve months at the earliest. So if you have to get your money at short notice at any time, you should refrain from such investments.

The examples show that there is no shortage of alternatives to the savings book or a federal bond. But if you want to increase your money, you also have to be prepared to take risks. In some cases, for example when purchasing shares, there is even a risk of total loss, as the example of Wirecard recently showed. A look abroad – especially the USA, where far more people own shares than in Germany – shows that long-term wealth can only be built up with investments in the capital market

Industry Day Showing the Chancellor candidate

Status: 06/22/2021 6:12 p.m.

How can the climate change succeed and Germany be preserved as an industrial location? The Chancellor candidates gave outlooks at the Industry Day. In the end there was nothing more than friendly applause.

From Eva Ellermann, ARD capital studio

German industry is worried: climate neutrality by 2045 – how should Germany, a country of industry, export and innovation, achieve that?

The head of the Federal Association of German Industry (BDI), Siegfried Russwurm, fears that new climate protection goals and specifications will overwhelm the industry: “Just to raise the bar, although athletes and coaches don’t yet know how to cope with the lower ones – that is not a successful training strategy. And to do that as a trainer, and certainly not to talk to the athlete about it beforehand. ”

Merkel’s last day of industry

Chancellor Angela Merkel does not find it difficult to commit to Germany as an industrial location, but she warns that self-evident things have to be worked out over and over again.

It is her last appearance at an Industry Day and she uses it to make demands on the hosts on the way to climate neutrality: “We urgently need – we should work with the BDI – a forecast for electricity demand in 2030. The Assumptions that the electricity price will not increase are probably not sustainable. Then we need a plan that requires more line construction than we have planned today, “said Merkel.

SPD Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz shares the Chancellor’s diagnosis and uses it to attack Federal Economics Minister Peter Altmaier. He assumes constant electricity consumption until 2030 – Scholz adds: “Let me say it loud and clear: the electricity lie.”

Scholz presents himself as a doer. He promises the industry that electricity will remain affordable for them. “That is why we will abolish the EEG surcharge by 2025 and reorganize the taxes and surcharges in the energy sector,” said Scholz. “My goal is an industrial electricity price of four cents.”

Laschet: no tax increases

Competitor Armin Laschet is not that specific. The Union chancellor candidate shows understanding for the concerns of the industry. “My idea is that in 20 years’ time we will still have a steel industry, still have a chemical industry, another automotive industry – then climate-neutral,” says Laschet. “But if you do not formulate this goal at the beginning, but just keep increasing guidelines and limit values, issuing bans, you will in the end gamble away the status of the industrialized country.”

The “Corona Method” with regulations down to the smallest detail does not fit the future. Laschet promises: less maneuvering and no tax increases.

There is no getting around climate neutrality, emphasized Annalena Baerbock. Image: dpa

Of course, Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock knows that this is her address too, but she emphasizes that there is no getting around the goal of climate neutrality: “Whether you like it or not – the competition is about who will be the markets of the future first achieved climate-neutral, in the future it will also have the edge in terms of economy and thus socio-political. ” The course must now be set for a social and climate-friendly market economy, said Baerbock. All three candidates for Chancellor appear a bit nervous at their show in front of the most important German business association. At the end of the day there is friendly applause for everyone, but no more at the German Industry Day

Energy and climate package Triple steps or big litter?

Status: 22.06.2021 4:35 p.m.

Shortly before the summer break, the Union and the SPD agreed on an energy and climate package. It is intended to help achieve the goals of the new Climate Protection Act. According to this, Germany should be greenhouse gas neutral by 2045.

From Martin Polansky, ARD capital studio

Shortly before the end of the legislative period, the Bundestag is due to pass the stricter climate protection law this week. And now the Union and the SPD have agreed on a package with initial measures on how the more ambitious climate targets are to be achieved in the coming years. The chairwoman of the Union in the Bundestag Environment Committee, Anja Weisgerber from the CSU, welcomes the agreement. “It is definitely a clear step forward. And with everything we also pay attention to the effects on the economy, on jobs and people’s acceptance.”

Expansion of renewable energies – with restrictions

The government groups have specifically agreed on additional new wind and solar systems in the coming year, on simplified repowering, in which old wind turbines will be replaced by new and higher ones. CSU environmental expert Weisgerber emphasizes that the effects on species protection and noise emissions should continue to be examined. But simplified approval procedures are necessary in order to expand renewable energies more quickly and thus achieve the climate targets. The agreement also provides financial benefits for communities that provide rural open spaces for solar systems. The Union and the SPD could not agree on a faster increase in the CO2 price or the distribution of CO2 costs between tenants and landlords each half. And solar compulsory for new buildings is also off the table. This was not feasible with the Union, says the deputy SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch: “We cannot enforce this measure in such a constellation. I believe that the next government must first and foremost conclude a future pact between the federal, state and local governments , which provides for a binding expansion path for renewable energy sources. ”

Opposition and associations disappointed

Criticism of the resolutions comes from the opposition. The FDP speaks of campaign activism by the Union and the SPD, the Left calls the resolutions a sham campaign. The environmental expert of the Greens, Oliver Krischer, speaks of small, triple steps: “That is not what we need for climate protection. That is politics with our hands in our pockets and not the answer to the climate crisis.”

The BUND and the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband also criticize the resolutions as half-hearted: they are not only unambitious, but there is also no social compensation for tenants, for example. The Bundestag is to adopt the package of measures on Thursday together with the new climate protection law. This provides for Germany to become greenhouse gas neutral in 2045 – five years earlier than previously planned. In addition, the Federal Cabinet wants to launch an eight billion euro immediate program tomorrow to promote investments in the energy transition. However, the immediate program can only be finally adopted by the upcoming Bundestag

“Repowering” New boost for wind power?

Status: 22.06.2021 3:09 p.m.

The expansion of wind power has not progressed as planned for years. Now the grand coalition has agreed on a number of measures that should give the industry a new boost. This week, the new Federal Climate Protection Act should pass the Bundestag and Bundesrat. It stipulates that Germany will become greenhouse gas neutral by 2045 – five years earlier than planned. By 2030, 65 percent of climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions are to be saved compared to 1990. In order to achieve this goal, along with other measures, renewable energies must also make a major contribution. Wind power is one of them. The planned changes are essentially about making it easier to replace existing wind turbines, known as repowering. The new regulation is intended to facilitate the approval of new windmills at old locations and thus enable repowering that maintains the location. This also applies to wind farms that reach up to 350 meters from residential areas – provided that the loads from the new systems are not higher than the old ones. The aim is to make better use of existing wind sites with more modern system technology, said the politicians Matthias Miersch from the SPD and Stephan Stracke from the CDU.

There is still a lack of space

Lothar Schulze, CEO of the Wind Power Plants Association, maintains that repowering is facilitated “basically makes sense”, but criticizes the unchanged strict requirements for species protection. In addition, there is still a lack of space for new wind farms if the goal set by the federal government of reserving two percent of Germany’s land area for wind farms is to be achieved. Currently 0.9 percent of the area is designated for this, but only 0.5 percent can be used with modern systems. “This means that another 1.5 percent of the federal territory is missing, which means that a giant step has to be taken in the next legislative period”, said Schulze in conversation with tagesschau.de .

SPD parliamentary deputy Miersch also regretted that no agreement had been reached on binding land commitments for wind power. But at least he spoke of one “bridge” in the next legislative period. Green parliamentary group leader Anton Hofreiter criticized that there was only one “a couple of small funding programs” instead of “fundamental reforms”. “Very important and positive” On the other hand, association chief Schulze finds the increase in the tender volume for wind power to four gigawatts agreed for the coming year. However, it is only one “small compensation” the deterioration that has taken place since 2017. In fact, not all tenders were actually implemented between 2017 and 2020. “We would therefore have liked a perspective beyond 2022”, says Schulze. But this task will probably only be taken over by the new government.

Further loosening is necessary

Overall, however, the wind power industry is satisfied with the planned innovations. Material errors and limitations would be corrected. Despite the still too low approval procedures, the quantities were sufficient for 2022 and, due to the catch-up, also in the following years. The next government must, however, continue to promote the expansion of wind energy through further easing, also in the field of species protection, in order to increase the output to 5,000 MW per year, said Association Board Member Schulze.

Nevertheless, the controversial cases in the construction of new wind turbines have steadily increased in recent years. Since 2018, the expansion of wind energy has stagnated at 1,000 to 1,500 MW per year. In addition to the growing resistance from the population, this is also due to the different administrative practices from state to state. The industry also has the impression that new hurdles are always being sought. In the meantime, monument protection has also been included in the approval process for wind turbines. The compromise reached between the Union and the SPD over the past year also caused criticism from the industry Minimum distance from wind turbines to residential buildings . After that, each federal state can now determine which distance is permitted. This can be 1000 meters or less

No agreement in the coalition Tenants have to bear the CO2 price alone

Status: 22.06.2021 4:31 p.m.

The coalition seemed to be in agreement: landlords and tenants should share the CO2 costs on oil and gas in the future. But the Union no longer went along with it. Associations and the opposition are angry – and generally criticize the climate protection concept. For the time being, tenants in Germany will have to bear the additional costs due to the CO2 price on oil and gas alone. An agreement reached by the federal government weeks ago to relieve tenants has now failed. The Union faction did not want to participate, did not want to burden landlords and landlords additionally. “A division of the additional CO2 costs between tenants and landlords would be counterproductive, since the CO2 price is intended to steer behavior”, said Union faction vice-chairman Thorsten Frei of the news agency dpa.

Incentive to produce less CO2

It should be worthwhile for the consumer if he uses less CO2, said Frei. That was the reason why the Union faction rejected the division. After all, landlords are not responsible for heating costs, according to Frei.

At the same time, Frei emphasized that it had already been ensured that it was not closed “social imbalances” come “Those who receive transfer payments receive their housing costs from the state. Those who are entitled to housing benefit have received ten percent more since the beginning of the year in order to cushion the CO2 price”said Frei.

Criticism from the SPD and the tenants’ association

The SPD side, on the other hand, expressed its disappointment. The Union has refused to include the landlords and landlords in the higher CO2 costs for living. This leave you behind “bitter aftertaste”said SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich. “Now the tenants alone have to bear the additional costs”, he said. “This is not how we imagine social climate protection.”

Of a “impending price shock” SPD parliamentary deputy Sören Bartol spoke for tenants “Editorial network Germany” (RND). The no from the CDU and CSU to the division model “exposes the social coldness of the Union”, he said. The German Tenants’ Association called the regulation in the RND newspapers one “hit in the face” of the tenants.

Additional expenses of up to 160 euros

The cabinet decision of May 12th originally provided that landlords should bear 50 percent of the costs of the national CO2 price in future tenancies. According to the current legal situation, tenants take on the costs arising from CO2 pricing, currently EUR 25 per tonne.

The consequence of the regulation: If heating continues to be mainly fossil fuel, it will be expensive. Like the portal “Check24” has calculated, the CO2 price of 25 euros for a family with a rented apartment and a consumption of 1000 liters of heating oil per year results in additional costs of almost 79 euros. A family with a house has to pay about twice as much.

Eight billion euros for climate protection

Originally, the now burst relief for tenants was noted in the so-called immediate climate protection program. The immediate program will now go into the cabinet without the corresponding passage. It essentially contains the plan for the distribution of the eight billion euros that are to be used in addition to climate protection measures in the coming years. But the coming federal government has to implement this. SPD parliamentary deputy Matthias Miersch, who negotiated the details of the climate and energy program with the Union to the end, spoke of one “Bridge to the next legislative period”. Miersch criticized the concept for the expansion of renewable energies as a failure. Here it was not possible to give the federal states binding targets, for example for the expansion of wind energy on land. Giving wind and solar energy a boost through changes in the law is now the task “Future task of the next government”said Miersch. Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) referred to RTL / n-tv on concrete progress, for example in the replacement of climate-damaging oil heating systems, but also admitted: “We could do a lot more.”

The Federal Climate Protection Act is to be passed quickly

The Federal Climate Protection Act, which is due to pass this week by the Bundestag and Bundesrat, forms the framework for all measures and financial plans. This will anchor the new climate goals that the federal government had set for itself just two weeks after a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court in May. The judges in Karlsruhe had instructed the federal government to regulate the national path to the reduction of climate-damaging greenhouse gases even beyond the year 2030.

Germany is aiming for greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045, five years earlier than originally planned. Then only as much climate-damaging gas should be emitted as can be neutralized again. Politicians argued for weeks about the right way to get there and only agreed on the final key points on Monday.

Car market Used car prices are rising rapidly

Status: 22.06.2021 2:17 p.m.

Because of the often long delivery times for new cars, the market for used cars is booming – also on the Internet. But consumers should pay attention to a few things, especially when buying online.

From Till Bücker, tagesschau.de

Buy or sell a used car from the comfort of your own home with one click: The online market for used cars is becoming increasingly popular. So it is not surprising that the Berlin trading platform Auto1 has risen to the MDAX. The company, which was founded in 2012, was only launched in early February dared to go public – with success. Because with 1.8 billion euros it was the largest IPO in Germany after almost one and a half years. The Auto1 Group claims to be Europe’s largest digital automotive platform with more than 450,000 cars sold last year. The company buys vehicles from private customers via wirkaufendeinauto.de as well as from dealers. These are then primarily passed on to other car dealers via auto1.com. But consumers have also been able to purchase new used vehicles through the Autohero brand since 2017. The private business is to be massively expanded with the fresh money from investors.

Semiconductor shortages delay deliveries

That could be worth it. Because according to calculations by the Metzler bank, the European market for used cars reaches around 600 billion euros. 2020 was due to long delivery times and falling demand for new cars during the Corona crisis a real boom . In July alone, according to figures from the Federal Motor Transport Authority, there were almost 750,000 car ownership transfers – more than ever before in a month and almost 100,000 more than in July 2019. This year, too, the transfers are well above the previous year’s figures.

The high demand is also reflected in the price development: During the prices for used e-cars have recently plummeted , the asking prices for used cars reached a new record high in May with an average of around 22,600 euros per vehicle. The buyers paid almost 200 euros more than in April and even around 2200 euros more than in May 2020, according to data from the online portal AutoScout24. Experts expect an increase as the semiconductor shortage is delaying the delivery of new cars worldwide and the supply of used cars is falling.

Platform growth opportunities

So far, however, only one percent of used cars have been sold online. “The used car market in Europe is still one of the last markets that go almost exclusively through brick-and-mortar retail,” said Tom Diedrich from the Metzler bank Deutschlandfunk . Therefore, there are still great growth opportunities for online platforms.

A first trend seems to be emerging. “We are seeing a real boom,” said Stefan Schneck, sales manager for the German market at AutoScout24. For example, the number of contacts made by potentially interested parties shot up by 40 percent at times in May. According to a current AutoScout24 survey of more than 1000 users, car fans see a good alternative to buying completely online: almost one in two (47 percent) would “definitely” or “maybe” order their car from the sofa. A year ago, only 35 percent of those surveyed were ready to do this.

Extreme bargains should make you suspicious

Buying a used car on the Internet has the advantage that interested parties can quickly and easily fall back on a huge range. A contract can be concluded at the push of a button, and the car is delivered to your doorstep. But regardless of whether it is on digital platforms such as Auto1 or via an exchange such as AutoScout24 or mobile.de, on which dealers or private individuals sell their vehicles directly: Consumers should pay attention to a few things when buying a used car.

First the price. For used cars, this depends on the model, year of construction, equipment, kilometers driven, wear and tear, extras and preferences. But how can a fair offer be recognized? “If you watch the market for your desired vehicle for a week or two, you get a very good feeling for a reasonable price,” explains Silvia Schattenkirchner, Head of Consumer Law at ADAC. Some exchanges such as mobile.de are now also giving ratings for offers from private individuals. Consumers should generally be cautious about extreme bargains. In addition, there is possible manipulation of the mileage. According to ADAC estimates, the so-called odometer has changed in every third used car. Verification is not easy. “It is best to have the mileage guaranteed,” advises Schattenkirchner. Otherwise, consumers could have repair invoices or TÜV certificates shown. Even comparing the kilometers driven with the year of construction is already informative in some cases.

Test drives essential

The expert considers test drives to be particularly important. “Buying a pig in a poke without a test drive, especially when it comes to used cars, is a big risk.” Only then should a contract be concluded. Schattenkirchner also advises against high down payments or other advance payments as well as purchases from abroad. In addition, consumers should be aware that contracts concluded online are also binding – for example by email. There are numerous scams on the Internet. The most common problems are listed on the website of the initiative “Safe car purchase on the Internet” from ADAC and the police crime prevention.

It is also not always easy for sellers of used cars. Platforms often promise higher prices than are ultimately paid. In order to find out how much one’s own car is still worth, the lawyer Schattenkirchner has two tips ready: “On the one hand, sellers can search for their own car and comparable offers. The other option are ADAC test centers.” Most of the time, only the initiation of business deals takes place on the Internet. “With mobile.de or AutoScout24 it is usually still the case that both parties are mediated,” said Schattenkirchner. The contract will still be concluded outside of the Internet. It remains to be seen whether the newcomer Auto1 will bring about long-term change

Sports car manufacturer What Porsche is planning for the electric future

Status: 06/22/2021 9:24 a.m.

As a rule, Porsche tests new technology first on the race track – including a new high-tech battery. Because there are no suitable batteries on the world market, Porsche will produce them in-house in the future.

From Tim Diekmann, SWR

If you sit in the new Porsche Taycan, you don’t have to do without the usual sound. Although the first fully electric Porsche should glide almost silently across the street, it sounds either like a bubbling sports car or – when accelerating – like an intergalactic rocket. Porsche calls this “Electric Sport Sound” – because the Swabian car manufacturer does not want to deliver its newest vehicle completely without sports car noises. The luxury sports car, which Porsche sold 20,000 times worldwide last year, is only supposed to be the beginning of an electromobility initiative.

High-tech battery made in Germany

In just two years, every third Porsche should be equipped with an electric motor – as a hybrid or fully electric. For this, Porsche needs lots of powerful batteries. But they are hard to find on the world market, says Porsche boss Oliver Blume: “We need high-performance cells for our electric sports cars. But we can’t find them anywhere at the moment. That’s why we develop and build these cells ourselves.” The first battery cells are expected to roll off the assembly line from 2024, initially for around 1,000 vehicles per year. “The focus will initially be on small series for racing and high-performance vehicles. In the future, however, this is not just about racing cars,” explains Blume at the official presentation at the Porsche Development Center in Weissach. In the first step, innovative technologies are usually only developed for a limited high-tech application, “but once the innovations have proven themselves there, they will gradually establish themselves across the board. That must be our goal. At Porsche, that’s what we call it Principle: from motorsport to series production. ”

Range model Tesla

For battery cell production, the Stuttgart-based company is working with the German company Customcells, which it claims to be a world leader in the development of lithium-ion battery cells. The joint venture operates under the name Cellforce Group.

According to automotive expert Stefan Bratzel from the Center of Automotive Management in Bergisch-Gladbach, it is logical that, after Volkswagen, Porsche is now also relying on the production of its own battery cells: “The battery cell accounts for the largest part of the car’s added value, and it has a lot of innovation potential . Automobile manufacturers who develop competencies in this area have a long-term competitive advantage. ” According to Bratzel, Porsche should not chase after the competition for the US electric car manufacturer Tesla, but rather must lead the way as an innovator.

New battery technology promises many advantages

According to the head of electrochemical energy technologies at the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research in Baden-Württemberg (ZSW), Markus Hölzle, the batteries as we know them today should still develop their potential: “Everything can, must and will be improved Above all, however, the cost of battery cells must be reduced further. And the energy density must also increase so that the batteries become more compact. ” The ability to recharge quickly is also important. To do this, Porsche wants to work with so-called silicon anodes, which “has two major advantages over the previously used carbon: it improves the ability to charge quickly and increases the energy content,” explains Hölzle. But now Porsche must first show that they can do it.

But while Porsche is still planning the future, competitor Tesla is already building the world’s largest battery cell factory in Grünheide near Berlin and promises a production capacity of 100 gigawatt hours per year, a thousand times as much as Porsche’s subsidiary Cellforce Group.

Climate neutral by 2030?

The focus on e-mobility and the setting of climate targets is an important step for the brand, emphasizes car expert Bratzel. “Porsche is a brand that nobody really needs, but many people want to have it because of its positive image. And I believe that it is becoming more and more important for the Porsche clientele in particular to say: ‘I have a sports car and still drive in a climate-friendly way . ‘”

Climate protection has long since become an image factor. This also shows the ambitious goal of the Swabian car manufacturer to be “balance sheet CO2-neutral” by 2030 and thus earlier than Daimler (planned for 2039) or Volkswagen (planned for 2050).

Environmentalists are skeptical

The environmental protection organization Greenpeace is skeptical whether Porsche will really be climate-neutral by 2030. “Unfortunately, ‘climate-neutral’ on the balance sheet ‘usually means that in the end generously cheap CO2 credits are bought from offsetting projects instead of consistently reducing CO2,” says Benjamin Gehrs from Greenpeace. With its large SUVs, Porsche consumes an unnecessarily large amount of resources. Porsche must also get out of the business with climate-damaging diesels and gasoline engines faster and more consistently than before.

So will the Porsche 911 possibly soon hit the streets as an electric car? Unlikely. In addition to battery cell technology, Porsche is also working on the development of synthetic fuels, so-called eFuels, which are to be produced using renewable electricity. Artificial sports car sound, as in the Taycan, is then unnecessary. At Porsche, the first step is to advance research in the field of battery cell development. The federal and state governments support the project with 60 million euros

background

Fight against Corona What speaks for and against child vaccinations

Status: 06/22/2021 8:57 a.m.

The debate about whether children should be vaccinated against Corona is in full swing. Companies are pressing ahead with their studies for the approval of a vaccine for young children as well. What is the current state of research?

From Axel John, SWR

Just a few steps from the magnificent Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin is the rather inconspicuous Hausvogteiplatz. But what is sensational is what happens there in a sober office building. The Association of Research-Based Drug Manufacturers (VfA) has its headquarters here. The experts maintain contact with pharmaceutical companies all over the world – also when it comes to corona vaccine research, which is still under high pressure.

Particularly strict requirements for tests with minors

A team of specialists is constantly collecting the latest data from all over the world. Rolf Hömke is also there. The biochemist is an expert in research and drug safety. “When developing a new drug, it is standard that the preparation is initially only tested on adults. If these results are correspondingly good, studies with minors follow.” However, a prerequisite is a medical benefit in children and adolescents. Hömke gives an example: “A new antibiotic, for example, is also needed for children – but a preparation against prostate cancer is not.” Even higher requirements would apply to the tests in order to avoid stress in young people as far as possible. Both parents must have agreed together. The conditions also demanded that the children also say yes as soon as possible. “Money cannot be earned with such participation. The test subjects receive an expense allowance. The participants are mostly idealists or sick people who hope for an effective treatment.”

Intermediate results of the vaccine test series for children under twelve years of age BioNTech / Pfizer started a study in March 2021 with children aged six months and younger than twelve years. In the first phase, a small number of minors initially received different doses. In the current phase II, around 4500 young people are to be tested for the effectiveness of the vaccine in more than 90 facilities in the USA, Finland, Poland and Spain. Here researchers analyze the respective immune response. Results could be available from September.

Moderna reported the start of the phase II / III study in March. More than 6,700 children between six months and under twelve years of age in the United States and Canada are expected to participate. Here, too, it was initially about the best dosage. The effectiveness is then checked in the further course.

With the vaccine from AstraZeneca investigations began at Oxford University in February. Several hundred young people and children between the ages of six and under 18 should take part. The study has been temporarily stopped by the British authorities after reports of very rare side effects with thrombosis.

Janssen / Johnson & Johnson started testing his vaccine with adolescents aged twelve and over in April 2021. If the interim results are good, younger test persons should join the group. However, this study is also currently on hold.

Sinovac has been testing its CoronaVac vaccine in China since the beginning of May. In phase II, minors between the ages of three and 17 are to be tested here.

Source: VfA

STIKO sees no rush

Professor Dr. Fred Zepp follows vaccine development with great interest. On the one hand, Zepp is a member of the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO). The committee drew up the recommendations for the sequence of corona vaccinations. Zepp was also director of the Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine at the Mainz University Hospital for many years. He believes it is imperative that vaccines be developed for minors as well. This is particularly important for high-risk patients such as children with chronic cardiopulmonary diseases, emphasizes Zepp. “The mRNA vaccine process is an impressive development with excellent prospects. But we do not yet have any broad experience with children,” explains Zepp. For him it is important that the development of an adult’s organism is differentiated. The acute side effects can usually be recognized in the first twelve to 16 weeks. “With infants or children, on the other hand, I have an organism that is subject to constant development. That is why I say: We are currently under no time pressure in this group and should wait for further study results.” In addition, there are hardly any children in Europe who are seriously ill with Covid-19. Less than 80 children in Germany were being treated in an intensive care unit because of Corona. There have also been very few deaths that are even below the rate of flu. Zepp is also referring to a few cases in adolescents in the USA who developed heart muscle inflammation after the second vaccination with BioNTech. The authorities are currently investigating whether there is a connection. “The coronavirus will continue to change. I expect that the older population could also be affected here.”

“The pathogen spreads unhindered, especially in children”

In Munich, Matthias Kromayer leans over the latest results from corona vaccine research in children. The microbiologist recommends vaccinating minors according to the relevant studies and approvals – regardless of the vaccine. Kromayer works on the board of MIG AG. The company is currently investing in 30 start-ups. In 2008, BioNTech received a good 13 million euros as an initial investment from MIG.

For Kromayer, a vaccination rate of 70 to 80 percent in the population is the goal. “Then there is a good chance of paralyzing the spread of the virus and mutated variants. The pathogen spreads unhindered, especially in children. They are closer together and cannot yet adhere to the hygiene rules,” explains Kromayer. According to the Federal Statistical Office, there are more than 8.5 million people under the age of twelve in Germany. For Kromayer, this group is so large that it should not be ignored in the fight against pandemics. At the same time, children have a much stronger immune system that can deal with Corona much better. In this way, fewer pathogens would presumably be transmitted: “The vaccine side effects in children are likely to be very limited, but the resulting protection for other population groups is high. That should be weighed up.”

Politicians do not want to commit themselves yet

In Berlin, too, the Federal Ministry of Health has long since registered the emerging debate. Whether and to what extent children should also be vaccinated in the fight against Corona is still silent. Upon request, the press office simply declares: “The results of studies and possible approval by the European authorities remain to be seen.”

According to BioNTech / Pfizer, reliable results from the currently ongoing study series can be expected from September onwards. By then, at the latest, the discussion about the best vaccination strategy will really start

BioNTech Annual General Meeting Successful with mRNA technology

Status: 22.06.2021 10:25 a.m.

At today’s Annual General Meeting, the BioNTech top management can boast great successes. This is not only due to the corona vaccine, in which the company has left many competitors behind.

From Bianca von der Au, ARD stock exchange studio

What happened to the Tübingen-based vaccine manufacturer CureVac is actually the norm in the biotech industry: one drug candidate disappoints. Research is tedious and devours billions. The rapid success of the competitor BioNTech was more than a stroke of luck, believes asset manager Hendrik Leber from the private corporation Acatis. The Mainz biotech company did a lot of things right, he says. “BioNTech made the decision very quickly to develop a vaccine at all. And the choice of partner to work with Pfizer was an extremely good decision.” The US pharmaceutical company opened the door to the American market and at the same time pushed ahead with marketing and clinical studies at a rapid pace.

Does CureVac’s chance lie in the mutants?

The Tübingen competitor CureVac is not only lagging in terms of time, but also in terms of time Effectiveness of his vaccine after. Experts are divided as to whether this deficit can be made up at all. Pharmaceutical specialist Alexander Nuyken from the consulting company EY gives the race is not lost for CureVac – in view of the constant number of new mutations and a low vaccination rate among the world’s population.

mRNA vaccine with great potential

However, the EY expert sees enormous potential in biotechnology, especially in the field, beyond the corona vaccine novel mRNA technology , which CureVac is also researching. “It was originally not developed with Covid in mind, but for completely different therapies, such as cancer”recalls Nuyken. There is the potential to address other diseases with this technology, namely, according to the expert, “cheaper, faster and more efficient.”

There is great hope – not only among investors – that mRNA technology can develop effective agents against previously incurable diseases – not only against cancer, but also against Alzheimer’s, for example. BioNTech has been researching a vaccine against cancer for a long time and, a few days ago, treated a skin cancer patient with an mRNA vaccine for the first time in a phase II study.

Would you like more willingness to take risks?

The path to the surprising success with the corona vaccine was only possible for BioNTech thanks to patient donors in the background. EY pharma expert Nuyken believes that there is a need for greater willingness to take risks in Germany. “How do we get the good science that we undoubtedly have in Germany in companies? And how can we then further develop these companies until they are ready for the market?”the expert asks.

He sees this as the biggest hurdle in the German environment. “In contrast to the American market, we have significantly less capital that is available for the development of these companies.” So it’s no wonder that CureVac and BioNTech have been listed on the Nasdaq technology exchange in the USA in the past two years. But also in Germany, Corona and the search for a vaccine have put the biotech industry in the (spotlight) light. According to EY, the German biotechnology company is in the Corona year 2020 so much capital flowed in as never before . In CureVac, the federal government even invested 300 million euros – a risky investment

Increasing number of passengers The US airlines lack pilots

As of: 22.06.2021 10:05 a.m.

The number of air travelers in the US is rapidly increasing again. In the meantime, the remaining pilots at some airlines are no longer sufficient to carry out all the planned flights.

By Torsten Teichmann, ARD studio Washington

The US airline Delta is looking for staff again. 1000 pilots are to be hired in the coming months. A year ago, in the middle of the corona pandemic and with constantly falling passenger numbers, the airline threatened to fire 1,700 pilots. In the end, the airline forced the unions to accept indirect wage cuts. Now Delta could even have to pay more for new employees in order to find staff again.

American Airlines is canceling flights as a precaution

American Airlines has similar problems. Especially on weekends, the number of pilots who have already been trained and tested is apparently not enough. In the event of delays and bad weather, flights are canceled because pilots would otherwise exceed their working hours and there is no one who can take over the shift. Now American canceled almost 1,000 flights for July as a precaution. The staffing level is so tight that the airline has been overwhelmed by rising demand and its own ambitious plans. The Wall Street Journal reports that there is also a frequent lack of ground crews to refuel aircraft.

Vacation trips partly at pre-crisis level

The number of vacationers in the US could return to pre-pandemic levels this month for some airlines. Delta expects the restrictions on transatlantic traffic to fall in the second half of the year. So far, travelers from Schengen countries such as Germany are still banned from entering the USA. US President Joe Biden has not yet announced that he will change anything

Heil is promoting training bonuses There should be no “Corona vintage”

Status: 06/22/2021 05:07

The second year of training since the beginning of the corona pandemic begins in September. The federal government supports training companies with training bonuses, but Labor Minister Heil is still worried about a corona kink on the apprenticeship market. Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil sees the German training market facing a critical phase after months of the pandemic. The number of apprenticeships like applicants had already decreased last year, said the minister. Figures from the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training prove this. The test comes this summer, “Heil told the Funke media group. “We are currently fighting the clock as the training year begins on September 1st.” It is clear: “We are not allowed to allow a Corona class in training.”

6000 euros bonus per apprenticeship position

Many companies were hesitant at the moment because they believed they could not afford apprentices at the moment. Heil called on companies to make greater use of state support offers such as the training bonus. The bonus has been approved for almost 40,000 training positions since last summer.

Heil pointed out that the new protective umbrella for training has been in place since the beginning of June. The premium was also doubled in March. Companies affected by a pandemic that keep their training quota have been receiving EUR 4,000 per apprenticeship position since the beginning of June, and EUR 6,000 for new trainee positions.

According to the Federal Ministry of Labor, the program has a total volume of 410 million euros for the current year. By mid-June, around 88 million euros, almost a fifth, had been paid out

Fight against cryptocurrencies China closes data centers

As of: 06/22/2021 8:26 am

Virtual means of payment like Bitcoin are a thorn in the side of the Chinese government. That is why it is vehemently against it: Now data centers have been switched off in several parts of the country.

From Steffen Wurzel, ARD studio Shanghai

The Chinese government continues to vehemently oppose everything that has to do with Bitcoin. Banks and financial service providers were again asked not to offer any more services that have to do with crypto payment methods. One wants to preserve the stability and the security of the financial market and protect the assets and property of the population, said the state central bank of China.

China had banned trading in crypto-currency such as Bitcoin as early as 2017, as the first large country in the world. The so-called mining, however, i.e. the electronic generation of Bitcoins and Co with huge computer networks, was still tolerated by the Chinese authorities. The government has only been systematically taking action against decentralized and digital means of payment for around six weeks. Huge data centers were shut down in several parts of the country. Most recently, around two thirds of all new Bitcoins worldwide were generated with computers in China. This share will now decrease rapidly and significantly, say analysts.

Concept of bitcoin contradicts politics

Monetary and currency policy are centrally controlled in China. The central bank is directly under the communist leadership. The Chinese currency, renminbi or yuan, is not freely convertible. The decentralized and open concept of Bitcoin contradicts this policy and is therefore rejected by the Chinese government. At the same time, the government is working on its own digital currency, which, however, has almost nothing to do with Bitcoin.

The stricter action taken by the Chinese authorities against crypto-currency has helped Bitcoin to lose around half of its value in the past two months. The Bitcoin price is still a good three times as high as a year ago

Director films for streaming service Spielberg signs with Netflix

Status: 06/22/2021 4:00 a.m.

Just a few years ago, Oscar winner Spielberg couldn’t gain much from streaming services. But now the director is surprising with an exclusive deal: Spielberg will be shooting for Netflix in the coming years.

From Marcus Schuler, ARD studio Los Angeles

The collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Netflix is ​​also a symbolic step. One of Hollywood’s great directors basically changes sides – from the cinema screen to the television. Until recently, the 74-year-old director was still considered a proven opponent of streaming services. In an interview with the British TV broadcaster ITV he justified it three years ago: “If you get involved in the TV format, you are a TV film. If the material is good, it has earned an Emmy TV award but no Oscar. I think it is wrong that films that only show a week in theaters are allowed for the Oscars. ”

This rumor also persisted: Spielberg is said to have used his influence as a member of the Oscar Academy and chairman of the directing department to exclude Netflix films from participating in the Oscar. The immediate environment of Spielberg has always denied that. Spielberg himself also made it clear to the “New York Times” two years ago that he was interested in a good story, regardless of the medium in which it took place.

One of the most influential directors in Hollywood

With Spielberg, Netflix has now hired one of the most important and influential directors and producers in Hollywood. His name is linked to box office hits like ET, Jaws, Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List. The collaboration between Spielberg and its production company Amblin Partners with Netflix is ​​planned for several years. During this time, a number of feature films for the streaming platform from Silicon Valley are to be made. There is talk of at least two productions per year. Both sides are silent about the financial scope of the deal.

Fiercely competitive streaming market

Film expert Julia Boorstin from business broadcaster CNBC says Netflix wants to attract new subscribers with the director’s glamorous name. That could be a big win for Netflix, even if it is not clear what the financial scope of the partnership is.

The streaming platform is best known for reacting particularly early to the market. And the competition is getting harder and harder: Disney Plus, HBO Max and Amazon are all billionaire companies that attack the market leader Netflix not only in the domestic US market, but also internationally. Netflix produced 60 major feature films this year alone. With Spielberg, there is less mass, but class. His commitment also shows that times have definitely changed in Hollywood

Arab and Jewish Israelis Reconciliation as Economic factor

Status: 21.06.2021 6:04 p.m.

After the change of government in Israel, the multi-party coalition is faced with difficult tasks, above all the reconciliation between Israelis and Arabs. That would also help the country economically.

By Till Rüger, Muhamed Abofani and Mike Lingenfelser, ARD studio Tel Aviv

For the first time, Arab MPs are part of one Ruling coalition in Israel. The Islamic Ra’am party of Mansour Abbas provided the decisive votes for the so-called “Coalition of Change” of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. With a wafer-thin majority of just one vote it became so Long-term Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted out of the Likud. A historic moment for an underrated minority. Arab Israelis now make up around 21 percent of Israel’s citizens – and their number is growing. Officially, they have the same rights and duties as Jewish Israelis. But many feel disadvantaged, for example when it comes to job placement or training.

Feeling of second class citizens

The villages and residential areas of the Arab Israelis also usually have poorer infrastructure. They suffer from a high level of crime, which the police have so far failed to combat. Many Israeli Arabs therefore see themselves as second-class citizens. In its Inaugural address to the Knesset , the Israeli parliament, said the new Prime Minister Bennet of the right-wing Yamina party that his new government was opening a new chapter in relations with fellow Arabs. He wanted to eliminate imbalances in education and alleviate the housing shortage of the Bedouins in the south. Everyone has the right to live in dignity. During the eleven days of rocket bombardment from the Gaza Strip, the conflict broke out even more clearly than usual. Many cities and villages with a mixed population of Arab and Jewish Israelis such as Lod, Akko and Jaffo experienced the worst unrest in decades. The deep crack became visible even where both groups had previously lived largely peacefully together.

Deep distrust with historical roots

Almost all Arab Israelis lived in what is now Israel’s territory before the establishment of Israel in 1948. In the Arab-Israeli war of 1948, they did not flee and were not expelled. Many see themselves as sisters and brothers of the Palestinians in the West Bank or Gaza Strip.

After the recent unrest, many Jewish Israelis avoided the Arab residential areas, including some areas of Jaffo, the district in the south of Tel Aviv. The pubs and restaurants in Jaffo had reported up to 70 percent fewer Jewish guests than before the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. During the unrest, the government imposed curfews and cordoned off entire streets, but otherwise did little to counter the deep-seated mutual distrust.

Arab Israelis as an important economic factor

Private initiatives are different. The Israeli insurance company Harel, for example, posted large posters on Tel Aviv’s city motorway in Hebrew and Arabic: “The best insurance against violence is coexistence.” Many other companies followed suit with commercials and newspaper advertisements. Because the Arab Israelis are an important economic factor.

It was not until the later 1970s that a visible number of Arab Israelis began studying at an Israeli university, primarily in engineering, pharmacy and teaching. In the early 1990s, agriculture and the textile industry went downhill in Israel. Many Arab Israelis were active there.

“The best insurance against violence is coexistence” – poster of the Harel concern. Image: Till Rüger

At the same time, Russian immigrants came into the country. More than a million new homes had to be built, and so the Arab Israelis got access to a new economic sector: housing, road construction, electricity and gas management.

Locked out of the software industry

Around the year 2000 there was a small high-tech miracle in Israel: Many Israeli software companies were able to establish themselves worldwide. But this industry remained closed to the Arab Israelis because, among other things, it had to do with security issues. Many Arab computer scientists were not permanently employed.

Since then, the Arab Israelis have almost only chosen professions in which they could certainly find a job, for example in medicine or pharmacy. Many saw a solid education as the only way to improve economically. The Arab villages in Israel are now competing with each other to see who has more doctors per 1,000 inhabitants. Pharmacy and medicine are often dominated by the well-trained doctors and pharmacists from the Arab minority. In recent years, the Arab Israelis have rediscovered the high-tech industry. This is suffering from underemployment in Israel, and many start-ups are desperately looking for well-trained employees – a new opportunity for the Arab Israelis.

Unequal distribution of the workforce

If you look at the total number of employees, then the Jewish Israelis come to a good 83 percent. Conversely, this would mean that the Arab Israelis, together with the large number of Asian guest workers, make up less than 17 percent of the workforce in the country.

If you take a look at the figures from the Israeli statistics agency exactly where and how Arab Israelis are employed today, the distribution looks like this: 13 percent are unskilled, 42 percent are skilled workers in industry and construction. Two percent work in agriculture, 15 percent in the service sector, three percent in administration, five percent are engineers, eleven percent are academics and five percent run a company. The labor force participation of Jewish Israelis aged 15 and over was 65.0 percent in 2019, while that of Arab Israelis aged 15 and older was only 43.4 percent, mainly due to the significantly lower labor force participation of women.

Reconciliation as the primary goal

The reconciliation of the two population groups – also for economic reasons – is likely to become one of the most important tasks of the new government of Prime Minister Bennett and his Vice Yair Lapid of the liberal Center Party.

Only when the inner-Israeli conflict has calmed down, according to Middle East observers, the new government can look to the West Bank and Gaza again and tackle the peace process with the Palestinians, which has come to a complete standstill

background

Warnings from economists Pension system on the brink of collapse?

Status: 21.06.2021 10:35 a.m.

Too few contributors and high household burdens – experts repeatedly point out the problems of statutory pension insurance. Does that inevitably lead to retirement at 68 or even 70? By Andreas Braun, tagesschau.de The criticism of the German pension insurance system, which has been publicly discussed for weeks, is sharp. The entire structure of the pay-as-you-go pension has been called into question by economists in recent weeks. Many of the criticisms have been known for a long time, but above all caused a stir Paper of the scientific advisory board at the Federal Ministry of Economics , an advisory body within the federal government. Economics Minister Peter Altmaier himself presented the committee’s proposals as “not binding” on his ministry The advisory board is “independent”.

Pension and contribution guarantees aggravate the situation

With their description of the state of the German pension insurance system, the authors of the study are anything but alone among experts. You see “suddenly increasing financing problems” approaching the pension funds. These problems are mainly caused by the guarantee of the pension level introduced in 2018 at 48 percent of the average wage and the limitation of pension contributions to a maximum of 20 percent.

Together with the introduction of the “pension at 63”, this led to the deficit within the pension insurance system being further expanded. More than a quarter of the federal budget had to be diverted to the pension fund in 2019 to fill this gap. In 2040, almost half of the federal funds are threatened to be used for this.

Increasing life expectancy

The conclusion of the economists of the advisory board with its chairman, the Munich economics professor Klaus M. Schmidt, reads: The coupling of the retirement age to life expectancy is “inevitable”. So if Germans tend to live longer and receive longer pensions, the start of retirement will have to be pushed back accordingly. This would correspond to a “pension at 68” in around 20 years.

In addition, the experts are calling for pension increases no longer to be carried out consistently in the future. While existing pensions should only increase with the development of purchasing power, a guarantee of 48 percent, for example, can still be guaranteed for “access pensions”, ie employees who are going into retirement.

Criticism of “unsocial” proposals

While politicians from many parties immediately criticized the committee’s proposals as “anti-social” or unrealistic, the authors also received support from academia from other quarters. The researchers from the employer-related Institute of the German Economy (IW) also see a further extension of the working life as a sensible way to stabilize the German pension system.

IW study director Jochen Pimpertz sees this as an opportunity “to slow down the rise in premiums and at the same time to stabilize the security level”. He recommends raising the retirement age from 2031 by two months for each year of birth. In 2052, the standard retirement age would then be 70 years. The Freiburg economist Bernd Raffelhüschen also sees a dramatic need for reform in the pension system in Germany. The federal government can only choose between “plague and cholera,” he said in a recent interview. Either the contribution rates for the pension fund or the federal subsidy would have to be drastically increased. In the past few years, the federal government gave the “majority of the elderly” too generous gifts, he said.

Swedish stock pension model

Martin Werding, professor at the Ruhr University in Bochum, is calling for a radical move away from today’s pure pay-as-you-go financing. Werding has calculated that a “share pension”, in which employees invest two percent of their gross income in an equity fund, could increase pension payments by up to 30 percent for average earners who have been insured for many years. The consumer advice centers also consider such a provision component, which is based, for example, on the Swedish pension model, to be sensible. Klaus Müller, member of the board of directors of the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations, sees the share investment as an opportunity to get “more money in old age” for insured persons.

But even a fundamental reform of the pension system is unlikely to close the gap between earned income and retirement income for many contributors. The Riester pension, which was introduced around 20 years ago , however, many experts are convinced that it is hardly suitable for this. There are increasing votes for Riester subsidies to expire under a new federal government in autumn. A prominent critic of the Riester model is, for example, the economist and former “economy” Bert Rürup. He advocates pension accounts that could be managed by a foundation and should be accessible to all citizens. Here, too, the idea is that additional contributions are invested primarily in the capital market and converted into payment plans in old age that supplement the statutory pension

FAQ

Statutory old-age provision How the pension is financed

Status: 21.06.2021 10:35 a.m.

It is and should remain the foundation of the old-age provision of millions of Germans: the statutory pension. How does our pension system work and what are the challenges it faces?

From Andreas Braun, tagesschau.de

How is the statutory pension basically organized?

The statutory pension in Germany is organized according to the so-called pay-as-you-go system. Those who pay in do not build up a capital stock that they can fall back on in old age, but rather finance the current earnings of the current pensioners. Anyone who pays into the statutory pension thus acquires a right to such a pension in old age, for which the next generation then has to pay. After a certain waiting period – currently five years – this entitlement is given. In order to receive a pension, you must also have reached a certain age (currently 67 years as a rule).

Who pays into the statutory pension fund?

Employees in Germany are required to pay into the statutory pension. Employers take over half of the payments into the pension fund. The contribution rate is currently 18.6 percent, so 9.3 percent each comes from employees and employers. Self-employed, freelancers or people who are not gainfully employed can also make voluntary contributions. All contributors acquire pension entitlements to which a certain pension amount corresponds. It is determined by so-called “remuneration points”.

How much does the federal government pay into the pension fund from tax revenues?

Since the income from contributors has long been unable to cover the expenses of the pension fund, the federal government co-finances the fund through tax revenue. In 2020, these expenditures exceeded the 100 billion euro mark for the first time. The federal budget provides 106 billion euros for 2021. That is more than a quarter of the federal budget. According to experts the proportion could rise to more than 50 percent of the budget in the coming decades .

What caused the deficit in the pension fund?

The demographic development in Germany is the main reason: The number of people paying into the pension system is facing an increasing number of pensioners. In 2020 there were 57 pensioners for every 100 contributors. In 2050, it is estimated that 100 contributors will make payments for 77 retirees. Since the pension level has always been adjusted upwards in line with the general wage level and there have been no pension cuts, the deficit is growing steadily.

What is meant by the “sustainability factor”?

In order to be able to take into account the ratio of contributors to pension recipients when calculating the pension amount, the “sustainability factor” was introduced in 2005. It should lead to the fact that the pension increases are dampened with an unfavorable ratio of contributors to pensioners. However, only a quarter of the factor is included in the calculation.

What are the “stop lines” set by politicians?

The legislator has provided so-called stop lines, which secure the pension level and at the same time limit the contributions to the pension fund. It is planned that the pension level (with 45 years of contribution) will not fall below 48 percent of current average earnings by 2025. A second stop line relates to the level of contributions from employers and employees. The contribution rate may not exceed 18.6 percent until 2025.

Why is the situation in the pension funds worsening?

The increasingly unfavorable ratio of contributors to pensioners – together with the state guarantees for the amount of pensions and contributions – will further exacerbate the funding gap in the pension insurance scheme in the years to come. The federal government has not yet made any fundamental changes to this system.

What are the options for reforming the pension system?

Proposals for reform target both the revenue and the expenditure side of the statutory pension insurance system. In order to increase the income, either the contribution rates could be increased. In addition, statutory compulsory insurance is also being discussed for additional groups of people such as self-employed or civil servants. On the expenditure side, the pension amount can be reduced on the one hand, and the retirement age can be increased on the other. A link to general life expectancy, for example, is conceivable. The income from the contributions paid in, and thus also the future pension amount, could also be increased by investing more contributions in the capital market.

What should the insured expect in the coming years?

The growing imbalance between income and expenditure in the statutory pension insurance will make reforms necessary in the coming years – economists and politicians of the most important parties see this equally. Contribution rates are likely to rise while average pension levels are lowered and working lives are further extended. In any case, it is likely to become even more important for the insured to make private provision for old age

retail trade Constant dispute about the closing time

Status: 21.06.2021 5:43 p.m.

25 years ago, the Bundestag approved longer shop opening times. But to what extent do more flexible rules benefit retail – and what price do employees pay? The debate continues.

From Jens Eberl, WDR

When Berliners want to go shopping in Bavaria, they might find themselves in front of closed doors every now and then. Berliners are used to having shops open around the clock. And Bavaria, on the other hand, has the shortest opening times in Germany. Since 2006, responsibility for regulating shop closing times lies with the federal states. The federal store closing law only applies in the federal states that have not passed their own store opening law; and that is the case in Bavaria. According to the Federal Store Opening Act, sales are allowed Monday to Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Bakeries are allowed to open from 5.30 a.m. In Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony, the shops are allowed to open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., in the other federal states, 0 a.m. to midnight.

“The job can hardly be planned any more”

Have the more flexible opening times proven effective? The balance sheets are very different. Stefan Genth, chief executive of the retail trade association (HDE), says that liberalization was an important and right step. “Especially in the food retail sector, customers like to use the longer opening times to shop later in the evening after the working day and to take a look around.” The service union ver.di, on the other hand, speaks of a massive deterioration in working conditions. “Due to the long opening times, the employees are required to be much more flexible, the job can hardly be planned,” says Federal Board Member Stefanie Benefitberger. Compared to the past, there are many more part-time workers; the longer opening times have not led to the creation of full-time jobs. “There are simply fewer staff available for advice in the store, so that the opening times can be covered,” says Benefitberger. “Two thirds of those employed in retail are women. The expansion of part-time work and employment that is not subject to social security contributions are at their expense and mean that they are dependent on basic security in old age.”

Jobs for millions of people

The industry association contradicts: Liberalization has increased the need for labor in the retail sector. “Particularly in the food trade, additional jobs were created in order to be able to cover the evening and night hours,” said HDE General Manager Genth. Overall, the retail trade in Germany today offers more than three million people a job.

The union also sees a connection between the dying inner cities and the long opening times. There was a big cutthroat competition, so ver.di board member Benefitberger. “Four corporations make around 80 percent of sales in foodstuffs, three corporations make almost 90 percent of sales in drugstore articles.” Not every company was able to go along, especially smaller shops should have closed that way.

Sunday opening as an economic aid?

In the current discussion about shop opening times, the main focus is currently on Sunday. The trade association, the association of towns and municipalities and Marcel Fratzscher, head of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), have signed up for a general Sunday opening until Christmas – as an economic aid for the industry, which has been hard hit by Corona.

“In many other areas of the economy, opening on Sundays is a matter of course. In restaurants and pubs it is part of everyday life that the doors are also wide open on Sundays. The same is true of theaters, cinemas or museums worked on Sundays, “said industry representative Genth. “Only in the retail sector, as a rule, everything has to be closed on Sundays. That is no longer in keeping with the times.”

Resistance in court too

But the trade union ver.di is massively resisting further liberalization, which is why it repeatedly goes to court. The advance of the HDE is a “general attack” on the trade workers, their families, and the Basic Law. “The HDE thinks too short-sightedly when it hopes to liven up the city centers and shops with shopping Sundays,” said union Benefitberger. “Because just because it is open longer, people cannot spend more money. Sunday sales only move sales from working days to Sunday.”

At the moment, shops generally have to close on Sundays and public holidays. There are exceptions, for example, for bakeries, flower shops, newsagents, petrol stations and shops in train stations and airports

EY study Corona is changing the pharmaceutical industry

Status: June 21, 2021 3:53 p.m.

The corona pandemic did not give the pharmaceutical industry a boost in 2020, it actually slowed it down. According to an EY study, only cancer medicine and ophthalmology are booming.

by Notker Blechner, tagesschau.de

Is “Big Pharma” but not a beneficiary of the corona pandemic? The management consultants from EY (formerly Ernst & Young) are convinced: “The corona crisis was not a growth driver in the past year, on the contrary, it led to higher spending on research and development”, says Klaus Ort, head of EY’s Life Sciences & Healthcare market segment in German-speaking countries. “The pharmaceutical industry wasn’t a big winner from the pandemic.” In fact, sales of the world’s 21 largest pharmaceutical companies rose by just 4.4 percent in 2020. In the year before the pandemic, the increase was almost 13 percent. However, this was also due to a billion-dollar takeover in the industry.

Corona slowed growth

According to Ort, Corona led to delays in various treatments. Among other things, the fact that fewer operations were carried out in hospitals had a negative effect. This slowed down sales of the corresponding drugs and therapies. In the case of funds for heart and circulatory diseases, for example, revenues stagnated after having increased significantly in 2019. Sales of therapeutics for respiratory diseases even fell. Place refers to the wearing of face and nose masks as the reason, which also prevented infectious diseases such as flu.

Corona surge will not come until 2021

With sales of 26.4 billion euros, vaccines only made up a good five percent of total sales last year “Big Pharma” out. That should change in 2021. The US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has already announced that the corona vaccine Comirnaty will flush a good 15 billion dollars into the coffers. That’s a good quarter of Pfizer’s total sales. “At Pfizer, Corona will only have an impact on sales in 2021″says EY expert Ort.

Pfizer partner BioNTech also expects an enormous growth spurt in new, unimagined dimensions this year. The Mainz corona vaccine pioneer expects sales of 9.8 billion euros for 2021 and should thus become the third largest German pharmaceutical manufacturer – behind Bayer and Boehringer.

766 Covid vaccines and therapeutics pending

EY was unable to quantify how high the market volume for combating corona is. However, the management consultants see huge potential. They refer to 260 vaccine candidates who are currently in studies. So far, only four vaccines have been approved. “The four big players dominate the market and will continue to do so”, predicts Alexander Nuyken, co-author of the study and head of life sciences transaction consulting at EY. Because of the increasing number of mutations, the hurdle for approval will become higher and higher in future.

EY has found out that 506 therapeutics are in the pipeline for drugs against Covid-19. However, no means of this have yet managed to obtain approval. “Despite all the vaccination euphoria, one should not lose sight of this fact”, warns EY expert Nuyken. People are still dying of Covid-19 due to a lack of medication. After all, the number of drug candidates has doubled since the end of 2020. And: 162 therapeutics are in the clinical phase III study. The most promising means is considered the cortisone drug dexamethasone . According to a large-scale study by Oxford University, it lowers the death rate of seriously ill Covid patients by at least 25 percent. In the initial phase of the corona disease, Remdesivir, which was the first Covid drug approved in Europe, also works – albeit only under certain conditions.

Price drop for corona tests

The EY experts see the market for corona tests as completely oversaturated. There are currently 1,021 diagnostic tests on the market, more than half of which are so-called immunassays (including rapid antigen tests). “We see a drop in prices here”says EY expert Nuyken. Individual drugstore and supermarket chains are now offering self-tests for 80 cents.

Thanks to Corona, the vaccine business has experienced a renaissance, emphasize the EY experts. The biotech sector in particular benefits. Due to new trends such as digitization as well as gene and cell therapies, it is on the threshold of further growth. According to EY, the German biotechs received more capital in 2020 than ever before.

Cancer medicine is the major growth driver

The main market for “Big Pharma” but oncology remains. In the fight against cancer, the industry has a turnover of over 200 billion euros, which is more than a third of the entire pharmaceutical business. In 2020, the world’s 21 largest pharmaceutical companies increased their sales in oncology by 14.6 percent. Experts are also predicting growth rates of ten percent for the coming years. Only ophthalmology promises similarly strong growth. Because of the trend towards home office in the pandemic, myopia increased in many people, especially children.

Biotech companies could provide a new boost in the cancer market. Amgen recently made a breakthrough in cancer therapy with Lumakras. For the first time, an active ingredient was approved that is directed against mutations in the KRAS gene. The KRAS mutations are one of the most common causes of pancreatic, colon and lung cancers. The mRNA technology that BioNTech and Moderna are successfully using in the fight against Corona also promises huge potential for cancer research.

Hope in the fight against Alzheimer’s

Biotech could also bring progress in the fight against Alzheimer’s. In early June, Biogen received “green light” for the active ingredient aducanumab . It is the first Alzheimer’s drug to receive FDA approval since 2003.

According to the study by EY, the Swiss Roche Group has maintained its top position in the ranking of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies with 43.4 billion euros. AbbVie climbed to second place – just ahead of Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co. Pfizer slipped to sixth place in the rankings. Due to the corona surge, the US pharmaceutical giant should regain the top spot in 2021

Compile | High song

Edit | Heart edge

News on June 19th, according to Reuters, the state of Bavaria in southern Germany is negotiating with the American chip manufacturer Intel on the establishment of a chip factory.

Currently, Intel has a chip factory in Ireland. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger once said that he hopes to receive 8 billion euros (about 9.5 billion US dollars) of financial subsidies from the European Union to build a new chip factory in Europe.

▲The construction process of Intel’s chip factory in Ireland

For Intel’s construction of a chip factory in Bavaria, Bavarian Minister of Economy Hubert Aiwanger (Hubert Aiwanger) strongly supports this.

He mentioned that Intel’s construction of a large-scale semiconductor factory in the local area is a good business opportunity for Bavaria.

Evanger said that Bavaria proposed to use an abandoned air force base between the two cities of Penzing-Landsberg in the west of Munich as a possible location for the chip factory. It is reported that this plan is supported by the Penzing and Landsberg councils. ▲Hubert Evanger, Minister of Economy of Bavaria Bavaria is located in the southeastern part of Germany and is a relatively developed area in Germany. The headquarters of many companies such as BMW, Audi, Siemens and Infineon are located there. In addition, the Leibniz Supercomputing Center is also located in Bavaria. Its SuperMUC-NG supercomputer uses Intel’s Xeon scalable processor and ranks 15th in the global supercomputing rankings. Conclusion: The subsidy policy may determine whether the chip factory will land in Bavaria Bavaria is a relatively developed region in Germany, and its infrastructure is relatively complete, which is conducive to the operation of Intel’s chip factory. Intel previously stated that it will open its existing factories to automotive chip companies and has already contacted some component manufacturers. If Intel builds a factory locally, it may strengthen its ties with automakers such as BMW and Audi. But on the other hand, chip factories cost a lot of money, so Intel has been seeking financial subsidies from the European government. Ultimately, whether the Intel factory will land in Bavaria is largely determined by what policy conditions Germany and Bavaria provide to Intel. Source: Reuters, SwordsToday.ie

Amazon On “Prime Day” there is a strike

Status: 21.06.2021 1:11 p.m.

Ironically, during the “Prime Day” discount campaign, a strike is to take place at seven locations of the online retailer Amazon in Germany. In Bad Hersfeld, employees have already stopped working. At the online retailer Amazon, a few hundred employees in Bad Hersfeld went on strike today at the start of the “Prime Day” discount campaign, which is taking place today and tomorrow. The Verdi union called for a strike at seven Amazon locations. In addition to the two logistics locations in Bad Hersfeld, Hesse, these are Werne, Leipzig, Rheinberg, Bad Hersfeld, Koblenz and Graben. The background to the strike is the wage dispute that has been smoldering for years between the union and Amazon. Verdi has been fighting for years to ensure that Amazon employees get a collective agreement and are paid according to the tariff for retail and mail order.

According to Verdi, around 3,300 women and men work across all five shifts in Bad Hersfeld. Since Sunday night they have been called to participate in the action planned until Wednesday. On Monday morning, the union counted around 300 people absent from work.

Group: No impact for customers

“Amazon spends millions on advertising and makes billions of dollars in sales on the days of the campaign. The employees in the shipping centers have to cope with the influx of customers and don’t get a cent for the increased workload,” said Orhan Akman, who is responsible for retail and mail order at Verdi. Amazon said the group does not expect any impact on customers. Amazon already offers “excellent pay, excellent additional services and excellent career opportunities – all in a safe, modern work environment”.

A spokesman pointed out that the starting wages for all employees in the German logistics network would be increased to the equivalent of at least twelve euros gross per hour from July. In autumn 2022, this is expected to rise to 12.50 euros. In addition, Amazon pays a special allowance for overtime, life and disability insurance and contributions to company pension schemes.

“Far from recognition and respect”

Amazon’s payment currently lags behind Verdi’s tariff requirement in retail and mail order, which is 12.50 euros for all employees. The union is harshly criticizing the group: Verdi called the announced increase in starting salaries to twelve euros per hour “cynical and far from recognition and respect”. Amazon behaves “like a landlord” who, when in a good mood, “has a few benefits for his day laborers”. The trade union is demanding that the federal government facilitate the path to generally binding collective bargaining provisions so that all companies in the respective industry are bound by them.

Competition authority Antitrust Office targets Apple

As of: June 21, 2021 2:46 p.m.

The Federal Cartel Office is now also investigating Apple. Above all, the US group’s business conduct in the App Store wants to investigate. Similar proceedings are in progress against other large tech companies. The Federal Cartel Office initiates investigations against the technology group Apple. The authority wants to find out whether the US group with parts of its business a “cross-market importance” has in competition. Cartel Office President Andreas Mundt said: “We will now examine whether Apple has built a digital ecosystem across several markets around the iPhone with the proprietary iOS operating system.” After all, the US group also produces tablets, computers, headphones and watches and sells them at the same time “a range of device-related services and services”. The Group’s Services division includes the App Store, iCloud, technical support at AppleCare, the Apple Music music service, the range of games in front of Apple Arcade, the Apple TV + streaming service and other services.

EU sees unfair competition

During its investigation, the Cartel Office will also examine Apple’s technical and financial resources as well as access to data, according to Mundt. One focus of the investigation will be on the operation of the app store, as this enables the group in many cases to influence the business activities of third parties.

Apple’s app store system is already being investigated by the EU Commission, which accuses the group of unfair competition with other providers of music streaming services. Among other things, it is controversial that 15 to 30 percent of the digital revenues in the App Store go to Apple. “We look forward to discussing our approach with the Federal Cartel Office and engaging in an open dialogue about any concerns”it said in a response from Apple. The group is “proud to be an engine for innovation and jobs”. The iOS platform alone supports more than 250,000 workplaces in Germany.

Cartel office can intervene earlier

The background to the investigation is a reform of the Act against Restraints of Competition (GWB) in January. A central component is the modernization of abuse control. The supervisory authorities can now intervene earlier in the event of suspected violations by large digital corporations and prohibit anti-competitive practices.

This also makes it easier for the Cartel Office to take action against large digital companies that are important to competition across borders between different market areas. This has already had consequences: the last time the Bonn authority was against the online network Facebook and in May against the mail order company Amazon and against the internet company Google Investigation started.

According to the cartel office, an expansion of the investigation against Apple is imminent. The authority intends to “to take a closer look at Apple’s specific behavior in a possible further procedure”. The Office has received various complaints against potentially anti-competitive practices

Wrong interest calculations BaFin is taking action

Status: 21.06.2021 5:08 p.m.

Premium savings contracts have long promised savers big money. However, in the low interest rate phase, many banks corrected the promised profit commitments downwards. BaFin is now intervening – in the interests of customers.

From Ursula Mayer, Mr

The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority BaFin obliges banks and savings banks to inform holders of premium savings contracts with a variable interest rate about ineffective interest rate adjustment clauses. To this end, the authority has published a general order – which is considered a sharp sword in the financial sector. The financial institutions must also explain to savers whether they have received too little interest as a result of the ineffective clauses. In this case, either back payments beckon or the banks can offer customers modified contracts with an effective interest rate adjustment clause. The changes apply retrospectively and also compensate for insufficiently paid interest in the past. According to BaFin, at least 247 banks and savings banks are affected. The total amount is open.

So far, banks have stood across the board

In the period between 1990 and 2010 in particular, the financial institutions offered a large number of premium savings contracts. These long-term contracts contain clauses that allow financial institutions to unilaterally change the guaranteed interest rate. They often did that in the low interest rate phase and cut savings rates, in some cases massively – at the expense of their customers. The Federal Court of Justice has meanwhile classified the clauses as ineffective.

BaFin Executive Director Thorsten Pötzsch refers to this in the general decree. He speaks of a “grievance” for consumers, which BaFin wants to remedy in terms of collective consumer protection. “We ensure that affected customers are comprehensively informed and legally treated,” says Pötzsch. Because for more than a year the supervisors have been trying to find a solution with the financial institutions in the interests of the customers, even at a round table – so far without success. The general decree shows that BaFin’s patience has come to an end.

Hundreds of thousands of customers affected

“We are assuming that banks and, above all, savings banks have concluded hundreds of thousands of premium savings contracts nationwide,” says financial expert Andrea Heyer from the consumer center in Saxony. She and her team have specialized in recalculating such contracts. More than 7700 customers from all over Germany have already contacted us.

As the consumer advocates have calculated together with experts, the financial institutions have calculated the interest rates too low for years in almost all cases. As a rule, consumers were unable to understand how they set the variable interest rate. Often the financial houses have lowered interest rates too much, in too large interest rate steps downwards. “Depending on the case, those affected are entitled to additional payments of a few hundred to over 40,000 euros in individual cases,” says Heyer. In this respect, she welcomes the fact that BaFin is now intervening – that is an important signal.

Suddenly it was 15,000 euros less

Karina Rother from Frankfurt, for example, signed such a premium savings contract at Frankfurter Sparkasse in the 1990s and wanted to do something for her retirement with it. “The Sparkasse promised me that with a term of 25 years it would really be worth it for me,” says Rother. She promised the customer steadily rising interest rates and ever higher cash rewards.

Rother assumed that she would get around 77,000 euros in the end – as it was calculated in an advertising flyer. Suddenly it should be around 15,000 euros less. In the end, she agreed with the Sparkasse on an extra payment of around 4,000 euros – but, says Rother: “It annoys me that a public institute in particular causes such trouble, even though it is in the interests of the company ‘Joe Bloggs’ should have in view. “When asked, the Sparkasse did not want to comment on the case because of banking secrecy.

Savings banks oriented towards the common good have a duty

Julian Merzbacher, consumer protection expert of the citizens’ movement Finanzwende, also sees the savings banks in particular as having an obligation to finally act and to approach customers on their own initiative. “It is a cheek that the public welfare-oriented institutes have so far mainly relied on the time factor and statutes of limitations when it comes to saving premiums”.

The general decree of BaFin also explicitly refers to contracts that have already been terminated. But the extent to which claims from customers are already statute-barred – or maybe not – is not a matter for BaFin, it says there, but the courts would have to clarify in case of doubt.

Big incomprehension among the banks

However, the credit institutions now have four weeks to appeal against the general ruling. This is currently being checked, according to the Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft, the umbrella association for the banking industry. “It is astonishing that the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority is pre-empting the courts,” said a written statement.

Because there is still another judgment pending at the Federal Court of Justice, according to which specific criteria banks have to adjust interest rates in long-term savings contracts. When this decision will be announced is not yet known – consumer advocates are expecting the verdict in the fall. And of course the German banking industry wants to take this into account, according to its own statements.

Don’t just accept comparison offers

But just waiting until then is not an option, according to BaFin. After all, it is uncertain when a decision by the Federal Court of Justice can be expected, according to the general ruling. As a result, the situation is unnecessarily prolonged for the financial supervisors, and consumers should now be informed urgently.

With a view to the general ruling, consumers do not have to do anything at first. However, you should pay attention to whether you will soon receive mail from your house bank regarding premium savings contracts or not. If comparative offers are made, consumer advocate Heyer recommends having them checked so that no saver is taken advantage of

Generation change in Gütersloh Liz Mohn hands over power to Bertelsmann

As of: June 21, 2021 1:48 p.m.

An era ends at the Bertelsmann media group: On her 80th birthday, Liz Mohn officially hands over responsibility for the clan empire to her son Christoph.

By Thomas Spinnler, tagesschau.de

It’s an exciting year for the Mohn family and thus also for Europe’s largest media group Bertelsmann from Gütersloh, which has been under the family’s control for almost 200 years. A few days ago, Liz Mohn announced that she would be handing the fate of Bertelsmann in the hands of her son Christoph on her 80th birthday today. Liz Mohn has been the spokesperson for the Mohn family since 2002, which directly holds around 20 percent of the company. This position is now taken over by Christoph Mohn – as well as the chairmanship of the steering committee of Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft (BVG), in which the family’s voting rights are bundled. This guarantees him control of the entire group via a right of veto and allows him to determine the strategic direction to a large extent. The remaining 80 percent or so of the capital shares in Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA are held by foundations such as the Bertelsmann Foundation, the Reinhard Mohn Foundation and the BVG Foundation. Liz Mohn is now also stepping down from the board of the influential Bertelsmann Stiftung.

“My husband was my teacher”

Liz Mohn determined the fortunes of the media empire for a long time. She originally started at Bertelsmann as a secretary. At the age of 17 she met the then company patriarch Reinhard Mohn at a company party and finally married him in 1982.

Then she began to take on tasks in the group with his support. “My husband was my teacher,” wrote the jubilee. Reinhard Mohn took over C. Bertelsmann Verlag in 1947 in the fifth generation and expanded it into a media group. He died in 2009. It was up to Liz Mohn to help shape the change to a digital media company and to determine it in a responsible position.

Largest book publishing group in the world

What kind of company is it that the 80-year-old is now handing over to her son Christoph? The business of the media group already starts with the children. It is active on the education market with the Bertelsmann Education Group. Bertelsmann expects a lot from the growing demand for e-learning.

The group also includes Penguin Random House, the world’s largest consumer publishing group with more than 300 independent book publishers, and the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, which is responsible for titles such as “Stern”, “Geo”, “Brigitte”, “Essen & Trinken” or ” Beautiful living “is known.

TV group as a source of revenue

The RTL Group, in which Bertelsmann holds a majority stake of 75 percent, with the channels RTL, RTL 2, Vox and NTV, provides the largest share of group sales. Then there is BMG, the fourth largest music publisher in the world. The second largest group division – measured in terms of sales – is the service company Arvato, which operates call centers and organizes financial services, IT services and logistics for its customers. A total of around 130,000 employees work for the media group worldwide. In the past 2020 financial year, it generated sales of 17.3 billion euros. The “Billionaires-Index” of the news service Bloomberg estimates the current fortune of Liz Mohn at 7.5 billion dollars.

In the sixth generation

Liz Mohn was honored with the Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2010 for her social commitment. Mohn donated, among other things, a singing competition and campaigns for stroke victims. The Bertelsmann Foundation is one of the largest foundations in Germany and, according to its own statements, invested 74 million euros in charitable projects last year. It was founded in 1977 by the corporate patriarch Reinhard Mohn. Critics accuse her of pursuing the interests of the group with her influence.

The new family spokesman Christoph Mohn takes over the reins of the Gütersloh group, which has its roots in the printing of religious works, in the sixth generation. In addition to the 55-year-old and Liz Mohn, their daughter Brigitte is also represented on the steering committee of the Bertelsmann management company