In the nearly year-long tenure of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Katherina Reiche (CDU), she has met with representatives from major energy corporations but has reportedly never encountered representatives from nature conservation associations or the Federal Consumer Centre. This was confirmed to the Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs.
A ministry spokesperson stated that since taking office, the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy has held meetings with representatives from EnBW, RWE, Eon, and LEAG through bilateral talks, roundtables, company visits, and other public events. However, no meetings with representatives from BUND, Nabu, Greenpeace, DUH, Deutscher Naturschutzring, Germanwatch, and VZBV have taken place at the ministerial level. The ministry noted, however, that it remains in communication with these associations.
Representatives of environmental organizations describe their relationship with the Ministry for Economic Affairs as exceptionally poor. Tobias Pforte-von Randow, the deputy political managing director of the DNR, told the Funke newspapers that the only high-level contact the German Nature Conservation Ring-an umbrella organization for environmental groups-had with the ministry was a general appointment with a state secretary. “In my view, the contact with the ministry’s leadership has never been this bad” he stated.
Sascha Müller-Kraenner, the federal managing director of the German Consumer Initiative (DUH), told the Funke newspapers that the ministry’s leadership has historically maintained an exchange with environmental organizations regardless of the political party. “There has always been a willingness to listen to arguments-but that happens only very restrictively under this current leadership” Müller-Kraenner said. He cited an instance where the DUH was invited by the ministry to a conference in September, but months in advance, they received confirmation that no one from the ministry could attend. “I find all of this very disconcerting”.
