Nachbesserungen am Entwurf?: Unionsfraktionschef will Änderungen bei Zuckersteuer

CDU faction leader Thorsten Frei has called for revisions to the planned sugar tax design by the coalition. Frei claims there is a need for amendments in the bill drafted by Finance Minister Klingbeil, stating that companies should be given transition periods to adjust their recipes. If they fail to do so, they would have to raise prices, potentially leading to a loss of competitiveness and even job cuts, which is something Frei does not want to see.

Frei insists that the sugar tax should not result in the creation of new government positions. The coalition presented a proposal to the Bundestag on Wednesday, which the CSU faction chief, Alexander Hoffmann, has already advocated for a later start date, suggesting July 2027 instead of the initially planned start in early 2028.

The tax aims to target sweetened drinks containing at least five grams of sugar per 100 milliliters. This includes items like sodas, iced teas, energy drinks, and fruit juice beverages with added sugar, but excludes alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic beers, wines, or cocktails. Pure fruit and vegetable juices, as well as unsweetened mineral water, are also exempt from the additional tax.

The government aims to exempt businesses that produce up to one million liters of these products annually from the tax. The tax is projected to generate 690 million euros in revenue for 2024, rising to 925 million euros by 2028. This money will be used to stabilize contributions to statutory health insurance, while also serving as an incentive for beverage manufacturers to reduce the sugar content in their products. Frei argues that the primary purpose of the sugar tax is health protection.