The government in Berlin had until Monday to submit a proposal to the European Commission for the newly set up EU Social Climate Fund.
Although there are no penalties for missing the deadline, a spokeswoman for the commission said on Tuesday that the disbursement of the money could be delayed.
The fund, totalling €86.7 billion, is intended to offset higher costs for consumers resulting from the green energy transition, such as rising heating costs, between 2026 and 2032.
It aims to provide relief for households and finance investments in areas such as more efficient buildings and public transport. A total of €65 billion is to be funded by revenues from EU emissions trading. The rest is to be co-financed by the member states.
The spokeswoman said that the commission has five months to analyse the plans submitted by EU countries. This means that the later plans are submitted, the later money can be disbursed.
According to the Commission, 25 other EU states in addition to Germany did not submit their plans on time – only Sweden met the deadline.
The missed deadline was not seen as an issue by the German Environment Ministry, which is run by Carsten Schneider from the Social Democrats, a member of Germany’s coalition government.
“Assumptions that Germany would lose funds as a result of the delay are completely unfounded,” the ministry emphasized.
The European Commission and national governments would ensure that the Social Climate Fund could start on time, it said. The aim is to present the German plan before the end of this year.
Lisa Badum, climate policy spokeswoman for the opposition Green Party in the German Bundestag, reacted with outrage to the missed deadline. “This is a slap in the face for consumers, who are already struggling with rising living costs.”