BERLIN, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Germany's lower house of

parliament and the state parliament of Lower Saxony have

approved the rescue of Meyer Werft, one of the world's biggest

cruise ship builders, members of the budget committee told

Reuters on Wednesday.

Although the shipbuilder's order books are full, it has an

almost 2.8 billion euro ($3.1 billion) financing gap due to the

delayed effects of a demand dip during the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT?

The German government and that of the state of Lower Saxony,

in northwestern Germany, want to rescue Meyer Werft to secure

thousands of jobs in the structurally weak Emsland region.

Around 17,000 jobs are directly and indirectly dependent on

the family-owned shipbuilder, which has a 229-year history.

Meyer Werft lists one of its main clients as U.S.

entertainment giant Disney ( DIS ). In 2010 and 2011, it built

the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy, the largest ocean

liners ever made in Germany.

BY THE NUMBERS

German federal and state governments will invest 400 million

euros ($442 million) in Meyer Werft for an 80% stake.

The plan also includes guarantees for 2.6 billion euros in

loans.

KEY QUOTES

"Meyer Werft is one of the largest and most modern shipyards

in the world. It is of immense importance for German

shipbuilding," German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said.

"It is a temporary aid," said opposition politician Andreas

Mattfeldt, from the Christian Democrats CDU, adding that the

shipbuilder has a successful business model.

Green politician Sven-Christian Kindler highlighted that

many jobs are at stake and this is a key industry for Germany.

"An agreement is now planned this week," Kindler said.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Final details will need to be clarified before the package

is confirmed in writing in the next few days.

($1 = 0.9057 euros)