Zuckersteuer: CDU-Landesminister sprechen sich gegen geplante Abgabe aus
Neun Agrar- und Verbraucherschutzminister argumentieren: Die Zuckersteuer belaste den Kauf bestimmter Lebensmittel unnötigerweise zusätzlich. Die Abgabe ist umstritten.
Nine Union agriculture and consumer protection ministers from various federal states have expressed opposition to a proposed sugar tax in a letter to Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). The letter, which was also sent to Chancellor's Office Minister Nina Warken and Fraktion leader Thorsten Frei (both CDU), refers to the coalition agreement of the red-green federal government, which prioritizes voluntariness, incentives, and personal responsibility.
The ministers, representing Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt, along with Berlin Senator for Consumer Protection, argue that a sugar tax would impose state regulation and unnecessarily burden the purchase of certain foods. They advocate for nutrition education, personal responsibility, awareness-raising, and innovation as the proper approach for reducing sugar intake.
Chancellor Merz initially halted Lars Klingbeil's (SPD) plans for a sugar tax on beverages at the beginning of the month, stating that the proposal deviated from the proposal of the Health Commission and was not majority-supported in government. Klingbeil remains confident in his goal to introduce a sugar tax, stating that it would generate revenue for the federal budget and incentivize beverage manufacturers to reduce sugar content and improve product health.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
