"The commission's proposals have grave consequences for the lignite business of RWE," Chief Executive Rolf Martin Schmitz said in a statement. "We will thoroughly assess the specific implications for our company."

Earlier, the commission proposed to shut down all coal-fired power plants in Germany by 2038 at the latest, recommending at least 40 billion euros in aid to affected regions as well as compensation payments to operators.

(Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Andrea Shalal)