Berlin (AFP) Dec 19, 2013 - Germany and the European Commission will resolve their dispute over German energy price breaks for large companies within a matter of months, EU Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said Thursday.

"We have good will in Brussels and also in Berlin," Oettinger, who is energy commissioner, said a day after the Commission launched a probe against his native Germany.

He said that Brussels and Berlin's new coalition government, sworn in Tuesday, would work together "and then one can resolve the problem through an EU-compatible reform of the German energy law in six to 10 months".

"That is our goal," he added.

Germany imposes a surcharge on electricity bills to support wind, solar and other renewable forms of energy under its nuclear phase-out programme. But the levy is reduced for energy-intensive companies that face international competition.

Brussels' inquiry will examine whether the discount amounts to state aid and an unfair advantage for some companies and sparked a warning from Chancellor Angela Merkel that Berlin would fight back.

She denied it distorts competition and warned that scrapping it would hurt businesses and cost jobs.

"The problem is resolvable. We now need half a year, then we'll find a solution," Oettinger said.