The European Commission has officially approved Ireland’s sugar-sweetened drinks tax.
The price of soft drinks is set to go up after Ireland was given the green light for its sugar-sweetened drinks tax.
The Commission gave its approval after it was found that the measure’s scope and design are consistent with Ireland’s health objectives of combating obesity in children and adults, along with other sugar-related diseases.
A sugar-sweetened drinks tax was first proposed to the Commission in February, with the aim of obtaining legal certainty that the measure did not involve any State aid within the definition of EU rules.
The tax will now apply to drinks with a sugar content of five grams or more.
In a statement, the Commission said that “soft drinks are the main source of calories devoid of any nutritional value and thereby raise particular health issues”.
“Furthermore, soft drinks are particularly liable to lead to over-consumption and represent a higher risk of obesity, also compared to other sugary drinks and solid food,” the statement continued.
“On this basis, the Commission concluded that the scope of the Irish sugar-sweetened drinks tax and its overall design are consistent with the health objectives pursued and does not unduly distort competition.”
The measures are supported by the World Health Organisation, which has concluded that obesity doubled internationally between 1980 and 2014 to over 500 million people. It had also predicted back in 2016 that Ireland was in line to become one of the most obese countries in the world by 2030.
Originally, the tax was raised in late 2016, at which time it was opposed by the Irish Beverage Council who claimed that the levy would be ineffective.
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