Sugar tax on the horizon in the Netherlands and Germany: will it make a difference?

The German federal government wants to introduce a sugar tax on soft drinks, both to ease the burden on the healthcare system and to curb consumption. The Netherlands also has similar plans for 2030. But what would the effect be in practice?

Health as an explicit justification

In Germany, the government plans to introduce a tax on sugary drinks starting in 2028. The measure is expected to generate about 450 million euros annually, an amount that would go directly to statutory health insurance to ease the burden of premiums. The Dutch government is also working on plans to introduce an additional tax starting in 2030 on all prepackaged products containing more than six percent sugar.