In talks on the future of the German mining industry, the year 2007 led to a broad political consent between the German Bundestag, the mining states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland, owners of the former RAG and the trade union IGBCE. Founded in June 2007 under private law as outcome of this coal-policy agreement, the RAG Foundation virtually acts as trustee of the public sector administering the new RAG Corporation and Evonik Industries AG as subsidiaries.

In accordance with its Statutes, the RAG Foundation has closely-defined functions such as:

• controlling the socially acceptable adjustment process of the German mining industry by 2018 in compliance with the Steinkohlefinanzierungsgesetz (Hard Coal Mining Industry Financing Law),
• helping the industrial Group Evonik Industries AG to go public and evolve successfully,
•  financing the long-term liabilities resulting from German coal mining as of 2019 by means of foundation assets that are to be raised by 2018,
• promoting education, science and culture related to the German mining industry in the Ruhr and Saar mining regions.

The most important tasks are ceasing German coal-mining and raising a capital stock in order to finance the long-term liabilities.

The RAG Foundation regards itself as an “entrepreneurial owner”: Together with the management boards of RAG and Evonik, it discusses all strategic issues and accompanies their implementation in a constructive way.