Commission’s health plan takes aim at sugary drinks and alcohol - and its own competitiveness agenda    

A leaked draft of the European Commission’s new cardiovascular health plan sets out broad ambitions for preventing heart disease, including a proposal for an EU-wide tax on sugary drinks such as sodas.

According to the draft, seen by EU Reporter, the Commission argues that cutting the consumption of sodas and highly processed foods is essential to reducing cardiovascular risk across the bloc.

When the idea of EU-coordinated action in this area was first raised by Hungary last year, several Member States, including Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, expressed strong reservations, documents seen by EU Reporter reveal:

"Germany remains sceptical of a EU-Level Action Plan on CVD [cardiovascular disease]. Duplications to existing measures at national levels or EU level (like Europe's Beating Cancer Plan) must be avoided. Measures should target NCD [non-communicable disease] in general".

Most Member States already have their own cardiovascular strategies, adapted to local habits, national preferences and resources. Some countries tax sugary drinks, while others focus on labelling schemes, public education campaigns or voluntary reformulation by industry, reflecting national competences in health and taxation.

In fact, the Commission already allocates more than €150 million from the current EU budget to tackling cardiovascular diseases, such as funding for ministerial technical groups, NGO-led projects, etc. The scope is so wide that it is not a surprise that countries have pointed to potential overlaps with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, which has a budget of about €4 billion and whose effectiveness has been called into question.

"Christmas came early in the Commission. This is a Christmas-tree plan, stuffed with every possible measure and targeting everything under the sun," said an industry source.

Advertisement

The plan would introduce a new EU revenue stream earmarked for health through a levy on sodas and highly processed foods. Over recent years, however, the Commission has pursued efforts to simplify the Union’s system of own resources and avoid a proliferation of targeted levies. 

According to people familiar with the leaked draft, the plan is part of the Commission’s broader approach to risk factors such as alcohol, tobacco and diet, drawing on the guidance and steering from the World Health Organization, which has been involved in the development of the plan from the onset.

The draft also envisages a new EU-wide digital “food information system” that would classify products according to sugar, salt and fat content. That system could serve as a basis for taxation or other policy tools. Industry representatives say such a scheme could mean additional reporting and compliance requirements for European companies, particularly smaller manufacturers.

Public authorities may also face implementation challenges. Several national administrations already report limited staffing and difficulties enforcing existing rules. Capitals are likely to scrutinise whether they have the capacity to apply a new set of requirements in this area, or ignore the plan altogether.

The health plan comes as the EU’s political agenda is increasingly focused on boosting competitiveness and reducing administrative burdens for businesses. It is expected the Commission will adopt the Plan in December of this year.

Share this article: