German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) has confirmed that the federal government supports expanding the planned sugar levy to include additional beverages. Speaking to RTL and ntv during the federal cabinet’s closed-door meeting in Neuhardenberg, Klingbeil stated that the whole government stood behind the measure and that this expansion was “something we are moving forward with,” though he stressed he could not disclose details from their discussions.
Klingbeil refuted the claim that the tax was mainly intended to generate extra state revenue, asserting, “It’s absolutely not about the budget.” He emphasized that the initial purpose of the sugar levy was to “strengthen the health system.”
The Ministry of Health has also backed this approach, aiming to protect children better and improve public health. “This has happened in many other countries. We are doing this here too,” Klingbeil said. In his view, the levy is a sensible instrument for greater health protection, necessary to ensure that people in Germany live healthier lives.
The Federal Ministry of Finance had previously published a position paper for the planned sugar tax, which proposed including beverages containing sweeteners in the tax. This means that soft drinks, smoothies, nectar, and grain-based drinks like oat milk would also be subject to the tax.
Separately, the Ministry of Agriculture announced that it supported the coalition’s agreements regarding the sugar tax, particularly within the context of the statutory health insurance (GKV) reform. This declaration came after “Der Spiegel” had previously reported that the Ministry of Agriculture had protested against extending the planned tax to other products in a letter sent on August 12.
