Article

Belgian Health Minister De Block not in favor of a soft drinks tax

On 18 May 2015, the first results from the study NutriNet Santé were published in Belgium. It was investigating the diet and lifestyles of 5.000 Belgian consumers.

A dedicated working group in Flanders has been working on the report and concluded that introducing a soft drinks tax in Belgium does not make sense as an isolated measure and that many conditions need to be met to make it a success.

The Belgium government has been looking into the report as well and Public Health Minister Maggie De Block stated clearly that she is not in favor of such a tax. Her predecessor, Laurette Onkelinx, had also turned away from such a soft drink tax.

The taxes set in France and Denmark are not convincing the Belgian government to follow the same path. According to the RTBF, the Danish Minister for Agriculture had indicated after the abolishment all food taxes that “the fat-tax was of the most detrimental taxes that was put in place in Denmark in a very long time“.

The full article from RTBF can be read here.

Ineffective consumer behaviour, Ineffective on obesity, Taxes unfair, What others say: government, Belgium, Europe

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