Germany’s renewable energy subsidy could go against Europe’s competition laws and the office of EU Competition Commissioner Joaquín Almunia (pictured) is looking into the matter, it was reported last week.

Lawyers in Brussels are now looking closely at the EEG, Germany’s renewable energy act, German weekly newspaper Der Spiegel reported over the weekend without citing sources.

The EEG is designed to boost the share of renewables in the EU powerhouse’s electricity to 35% by 2020 and eventually 80% by 2050. It does this by putting a tariff on household energy bills which is used to fund renewable energy projects.

Officials are said to be concerned ordinary Germans are footing the bill for green energy while large energy intensive industries are exempt from charges which pay for the EEG.

The European Commission could open an investigation later this week, added the newspaper report.