The EU Commission is debating internally a possible tax on sugar and salt – officially in the name of public health, but in reality to close gaps in the EU budget. What is presented as a health-promoting measure reveals itself upon closer inspection as a new lever for raising tax revenue. Instead of considering reforms to the EU budget, Brussels is devising a model that aims at burdening consumers and subtly optimizing revenue – with a clear impact on the daily lives of citizens. (euractiv: 05.11.25)
Health used merely as a pretext for new taxes
Wopke Hoekstra, responsible for climate and finance, introduced the idea of a sugar and salt tax to the College of Commissioners. It is intended to become part of future own resources in order to secure the oversized EU budget in the long term.
Instead of credible concepts for expenditure control, the Commission is focusing on additional sources of revenue that are hardly questioned. The food tax represents a particularly insidious approach because it is morally charged with the health argument.
Hungary as an example of ineffectiveness
A look at Hungary shows how little the sugar and salt tax there has contributed to promoting health. Despite the introduction of a corresponding food tax, the impact on consumer behavior remained marginal. Rather, the measure was used to create new leeway in the budget. The EU also seems to be taking this path. Officially, the rhetoric of prevention is emphasized, but in reality, revenue optimization and fiscal stabilization are the main priorities.
EU budget on the verge of collapse?
According to calculations, Brussels could mobilize up to 2.7 billion euros annually through the sugar and salt tax. This sum does not flow into targeted health initiatives, but serves to increase the bloated EU budget. Efficient use of existing funds does not seem to be a priority. Rather, a structural increase in costs for consumers is looming – disguised as a protective measure. The EU budget is growing while citizens’ purchasing power is dwindling.
Sugar and salt tax as a political deception
The alleged health-related intention increasingly appears to be a political maneuver. Instead of genuine reforms, Brussels is resorting to measures that hardly provoke resistance and yet have massive effects on private consumption. The burden on consumers is increasing without any concrete benefit being visible. The food tax thus becomes a tool for maintaining political power, far removed from any health-related credibility.
A Dangerous Precedent
The sugar and salt tax marks a turning point in European fiscal policy. It does not represent progress in health promotion, but rather a calculated means of raising tax revenue. Brussels is using the rhetoric of prevention to legitimize further encroachments on consumer freedom. What is being sold as a measure of care turns out to be a silent expropriation at the supermarket shelf.