Thanks for everyone's input including those via private mail. I am particularly interested how others determine takeoff N1 setting and V speeds and how climb gradients required by particular SIDs are taken account of. Ryanair apparently do not use improved climb. So it seems like they share Mutt's view.
I think it fair to say that this has been a bit of an eye opener. If I lived close to Schönefeld, which a lot of my colleagues do, I would be concerned that everything really is being done to minimize noise when it finally gets going.