Berlin

The Germans consume on average 60 kilos of meat per person per year. Well more than recommended by the Ipcc, the group of experts on climate change. Livestock, especially cattle, because of large releases of greenhouse gases.

In 2013, the environmentalists had ruined their campaign to the legislature in demanding a day without meat per week in the school canteens

To regulate this consumption, several German mps propose to increase VAT on meat. There are deputies-ecologists, but also members, conservatives and social-democrats of the majority. The meat, like other food commodities, is now taxed at the reduced rate of 7 %. The elected representatives of the Bundestag suggest to pass the levy at the normal rate of 19 % and allocating the revenues to the development of animal well-being.

The idea attracted neither the government, nor civil society, nor even the leader of the Greens, Robert Habeck. The latter, in favour of a wider reform, considers a stand-alone measure not relevant. His training, in the second position in the polls, does not want to repeat the missteps of 2013: environmentalists had ruined their campaign to the legislature in demanding a day without meat per week in the school canteens. Consumer associations believe that the measure would penalise the most modest and craingnent a decline, counter-productive, to cheap meat outcome of intensive farming. The ministry of Finance has put a stop to the creativity parliamentarians: the budgetary law of the German does not affect VAT receipts.