(ANSA) - TRIESTE - Over the past decade, German car manufacturers and suppliers have received almost one billion euros of state aid for research and development, plus another 181 million euros in investment incentives. This information is contained in the German Government's reply to a parliamentary question by Die Linke party, as cited by Handelsblatt.

According to the document, Daimler received most of the aid: between 2007 and 2017 Mercedes's parent company received 191 million euros. Volkswagen follows with 110 million and Bmw with 107. Taking into account also the tax breaks and various bonuses, such as scrapping, it turns out that the automotive sector has benefited from State aid for over 11 billion euros a year.

Also, the state buys many cars manufactured by German builders, according to the newspaper: more than 25,000 vehicles were bought over the last ten years. At the top of the list is Volkswagen, which provided about 15,500 cars. (ANSA).