I. Introduction The European Union currently accounts for approximately 288 million tonnes of coal equivalent (Mtce) of coal production. The coal (lignite and hard coal) is used for electricity generation, heat generation, steel production and other industrial processes.1 One of the largest coal producers within the EU is Germany.2 As of 2010, the coal sector employed roughly 100.000 people in Europe,3 in Germany approximately 26.000 worked in the coa