As of: February 8, 2024, 5:08 a.m
By: Stefan Krieger
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Press
Split
In addition to the planned meat tax, Agriculture Minister Özdemir also wants to reform the animal protection law.
Stricter rules are intended to prevent animal suffering.
Berlin – “If the currywurst becomes a few cents more expensive, then the fear of a shitstorm is great.”
Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) presented his plans for a so-called animal welfare cent.
Özdemir has repeatedly spoken out in favor of a tax on meat and meat products, the proceeds of which would be used to support farmers in remodeling their stables.
It was only “a few cents per kilo more,” the Green Party politician explained in parliament in mid-January.
According to a media report, Özdemir has now presented the basic principles of a consumption tax on meat products.
The basic paper for the animal welfare cent was sent by the Ministry of Food to the traffic light coalition, according to the
Bild newspaper
on Wednesday (February 7th), which cited the document.
Özdemir's plans: The coffee tax serves as a model for animal welfare cents
The tax is intended to be levied on certain animal products and is modeled on the coffee tax.
According to the basic 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 basic paper, the level of the tax rate must be determined “politically”.
Cem Özdemir: The animal welfare cent is only a “few cents more per kilo”.
© IMAGO/Christian Spicker
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
The draft stipulates that in the future “an animal may not be kept tied up”.
Particularly in southern Germany, cattle are often kept in tethered conditions.
A transition period of five years is planned for this practice to make the change easier.
Small holdings are still allowed to tie up to 50 cattle in the stable, provided that they are outdoors during the grazing period and have access to an outdoor area outside of this period at least twice a week.
The short-term tethering of animals, for example during transport, remains generally permitted.
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In the coalition agreement, the SPD, Greens and FDP agreed to close the gaps in the livestock regulations and improve the animal protection law.
(skr/AFP/dpa)
The editor Stefan Krieger wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.