As of: February 7, 2024, 10:24 a.m
By: Stefan Krieger
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Agriculture Minister Özdemir presents the key points for a meat tax.
The goal: More animal protection through financial support for farmers.
Berlin – “If the currywurst becomes a few cents more expensive, then the fear of a shitstorm is great.”
With these pithy words, Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) announced plans for a so-called animal welfare cent.
Özdemir has repeatedly called for a levy on meat and meat products, the revenue from which would be used to support farmers in converting their stables.
It is only a “few cents per kilo more,” said the Green politician in the Bundestag in mid-January.
According to a media report, Özdemir has now presented the key points for an excise tax on meat products.
The key points paper for the animal welfare cent was sent by the Ministry of Food to the traffic light coalition,
Bild
reported on Wednesday (February 7th), citing the document.
Özdemir's plans: The coffee tax serves as a model for animal welfare cents
The tax should therefore be levied on certain animal products and is modeled on the coffee tax.
According to the key issues paper, the aim of the tax is to generate “tax revenue for important, primarily agricultural and food policy projects”.
“Meat, meat products and edible meat offal” as well as “processed products with a certain proportion of meat, meat products or edible meat offal” should be taxed.
According to the key points paper, the level of the tax rate must be decided “politically”.
Cem Özdemir: The animal welfare cent is only a “few cents more per kilo”.
© IMAGO/Rüdiger Wölk
Özdemir is committed to animal protection
In addition, the Minister of Agriculture is planning further requirements for better living conditions for animals in agriculture and for pets.
The aim is to comprehensively strengthen animal protection in keeping and use and to eliminate deficits, according to a draft bill for a reform of the Animal Protection Act that the ministry recently sent to states and associations.
Among other things, the plan includes mandatory video surveillance in slaughterhouses, stricter rules for online animal trading and a general ban on keeping animals tied up.
Özdemir told the
Germany editorial network
: “Animal protection has been anchored in the Basic Law as a state goal for 20 years, but it is clear that there are still deficits.” Numerous concrete measures are therefore planned.
This is how businesses involving animal suffering should be prevented.
For example, by banning the sale of animals that show signs of torture on online platforms.
Interventions that do not promote health, such as trimming tails, should also be significantly reduced.
“Tethering” of cattle should be banned
In future, the following will generally apply: “An animal may not be kept tethered.” According to the draft, a transition period of five years is planned for the tethering of cattle, which is sometimes common practice, especially in southern Germany, in order to enable a change.
It should also still be possible for small businesses to keep up to 50 cattle tied up in the stable if they are outdoors during the grazing period and have access to an outdoor area at least twice a week outside of this time.
It should generally still be permissible to tie up animals briefly during transport.
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(skr/AFP/dpa)