BERLIN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Germany wants a joint European response to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act that would involve simplifying rules on state support and expanding funding opportunities, according to a German economy ministry document seen by Reuters on Friday. The ministry document also suggests member states could anchor sustainability criteria more firmly in public tenders at the national level as well as extend or increase traditional subsidy programmes, but warned against local content requirements which favour domestic industry. These would not only likely contradict World Trade Organization (WTO) law, according to the document, but also contribute to "a further erosion of the world trade order". The EU and Washington have established a joint task force in hope of resolving the dispute over the $430 billion act. (This story has been corrected to specify that the document is from the economy ministry, not finance ministry; and to clarify in the headline that the ministry calls for, not lays out, a joint response.)

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