GermanyAdvancing
Tax on sugar-sweetened beverages
Draft law approved by the federal cabinet on 14 October 2026.
Next: Bundestag vote; planned start 1 July 2027
Watching the EU-27 every working day
Who decides how much sugar Europe eats?
SugarWatch Europe is an independent, non-profit observatory. We track the laws, taxes and court cases on added sugars across the EU, and the lobbies that try to shape them.
11files followed, status at 30 October 2026
91actors mapped, from health NGOs to sugar producers
27Member States covered, plus EU institutions
<10%of daily energy from free sugars: the WHO limit (WHO, 2015)
On our radar
Status at 30 October 2026 · All 11 filesFranceRejected
Levy extended to sugary foods
Deleted by the National Assembly on 22 October 2026, by 86 votes to 58.
Next: Senate debate, November 2026
EUIn court
Nutri-Score and front-of-pack labels
Case referred to the EU Court of Justice on 16 June 2026.
Next: Court of Justice ruling
ItalyPostponed
Tax on sugar-sweetened beverages
Postponed repeatedly since 2020; now due on 1 January 2027.
Next: 2027 budget law, December 2026
Why added sugars
The World Health Organization recommends keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy intake, and ideally below 5%. Whether people reach that target depends less on willpower than on what they are offered: recipes, labels, prices, school meals and the marketing aimed at children.
These are policy choices, made in Brussels and in national capitals. Their effects fall hardest on children and on lower-income households.
What we stand for
Transparency
We track and expose lobbying strategies, industry influence and regulatory loopholes across Europe.
Public health
We highlight the scientific evidence on the health risks of added sugar and its unequal impact on vulnerable populations.
Accountability
We call on EU institutions and Member States to adopt robust, science-based rules to reduce sugar consumption.
Equity
We push for policies that protect children and disadvantaged communities, who bear the highest health and economic costs.
What we do
Watch
Legislation, consultations, court cases and national measures, and who lobbies on them, through public registers.
Analyse
Independent data such as the Sugar & Health Index. Every figure is sourced, so that anyone can check it.
Speak up
We bring the evidence to policymakers, journalists and the public, and take public positions.
Independent. Sourced. Non-profit.
We rely on primary sources first: official journals, parliamentary records, Commission documents and court rulings.
How we work and how we are funded
Advocating for a healthier food future in Europe.
We monitor the sugar industry, raise awareness on public health impacts, and advocate for stronger EU regulation to reduce added sugars.
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