Trains in Tenerife? That's what the future looks like in 2045
It will consist of three lines
Regional governments in Germany are fighting for the introduction of sugar tax on soft drinks, Source: Depositphotos
The claim is that it would save their treasuries 16 billion euros in health bills
Similar to the UK sugar tax, some German states are considering the idea of introducing a levy on soft drinks as a way of improving public health and reducing obesity.
Actually, the idea originated at the country’s Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and already nine states have declared official support for that type of taxation. These are Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony, Thuringia, Saarland and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. That’s caused a sort of a battle between the different levels of government because within the federal government coalition, the idea of a sugar tax meets opposition from the FDP but it finds support on a regional level.
The United Kingdom’s experience with their sugar tax has been considered a success with studies by the University of Cambridge found that five years after its introduction, the tax had prevented 5.000 cases of childhood obesity in young kids.
Some years ago, Germany tried to approach the matter from a different angle by encouraging the manufacturers to voluntarily reduce sugar content in fizzy drinks. This, however, has not led to great results because the content of sugar has been lowered by only 2% since.
According to a study by the Technical University of Munich, a special tax on sugary drinks would save up to 16 billion euros in economic damage over the next 20 years and help prevent diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.
Six years ago, today's Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said that introducing a sugar tax would only make sense if the additional money raised was used to subsidise healthy food - for example, by reducing the VAT on fresh fruit and vegetables.
It will consist of three lines
One of the weapons will be stinging fines that can reach 100,000 euros if the offending landlords are particularly persistent
The regional government gets serious about repopulating the small highland towns on its territory
Have you ever wondered what an old and famous painting smells like?
The tickets will be available for certain time slots in order to distribute the tourists more evenly throughout the day
This will be of significant importance to tourists as well since many of them arrive and travel around the country by car
They are distinct from the Olympic Rings and have their own specific name as a unit
The new initiative seeks to strengthen the variety of climate programmes under the resilience label
Educate, raise awareness, encourage rather than punish
They are distinct from the Olympic Rings and have their own specific name as a unit
Educate, raise awareness, encourage rather than punish
Have you ever wondered what an old and famous painting smells like?
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
An interview with the newly elected ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö
A conversation with the Mayor of Lisbon about the spirit and dimensions of innovation present in the Portuguese capital
An interview with the Mayor of Valencia, the 2024 European Green Capital