Germany’s five coastal states have demanded that annual federal funding for seaport infrastructure jump from €38.3m ($44.8m) to €500m ($584.7m), according to the government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The proposal was agreed on 20 August in Rostock by Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein as German ports face about €15bn ($17.54bn) in priority investment needs.
The €500m target is more than 13 times the existing €38.346m ($44.8m) annual federal allocation.
Hamburg receives €20.963m ($24.5m), Bremen €10.737m ($12.6m), Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania €2.556m ($3m), while Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein each receive €2.045m ($2.4m).
The five states want permanent federal base funding for port infrastructure and further investment in hinterland links, including crossings of the River Elbe. They also linked higher spending to port modernisation, offshore energy logistics, supply chains, security requirements and the civilian and military use of port facilities.
The €15bn estimate covers priority investment and renovation requirements and is separate from the proposed €500m annual contribution.
The figure comes from the Association of German Seaport Operators, or ZDS. A legal opinion commissioned by IHK Nord concluded that increased federal participation could be introduced by changing Germany’s seaport financing law without amending the country’s Basic Law.
ZDS is the industry association representing German seaport companies and port-related businesses.
IHK Nord is an association of 13 chambers of commerce and industry in northern Germany that coordinates their positions on economic and infrastructure issues.