European Commission’s Tobacco Tax Reform Plan Faces Criticism from German CDU Politician
The European Commission’s proposed tobacco tax reform has been met with strong criticism from Simone Borchardt, a health policy expert from Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU). In an interview with the news portal POLITICO, Borchardt expressed her concerns, stating that “tobacco tax increases must not become a hidden social tax.”
The Commission’s plan aims to significantly increase the minimum tax on tobacco products, with the tax rate tied to the wealth of individual member states. Borchardt, the health policy spokesperson for the CDU faction, disagrees with this approach, saying it is neither fair nor health-promoting, as it would be based on the principle of “wealth meets addiction.”
Furthermore, the CDU politician criticized the lack of a clear earmarking of the additional revenue, stating that “if higher taxes are to be introduced, the excess funds must be made to benefit the health fund, for prevention, detoxification and the treatment of nicotine-related diseases.” Without a clear binding, the proposal would be nothing more than a “placebo.”
Borchardt also does not share the Commission’s assessment that higher prices would effectively reduce consumption, saying that “a simple increase in tobacco tax and just filling the coffers will not be the solution to the problem of nicotine consumption.” The reform plans also include the introduction of taxes on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs).