ANICE: The Plastic Tax will hit a very suffocated meat industry
The outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has only increased this upward spiral in prices, reaching double-digit rates that had not been seen in Spain since before joining the European Union. And it is very likely that fuel and electricity prices, among others, have not yet peaked.
From ANICE it is recalled that only with regard to energy costs, this year the meat industry will pay a total of 1,494.8 million euros, with an increase of 344% compared to 2019.
And now in this complex context, a new threat is added, the entry into force of the Special Tax on non-reusable plastic containers next January, as established in Law 7/2022, of April 8, on waste and soil contaminated, whose impact on the food industry is estimated at 690 million euros.
In addition, it must be taken into account that the draft Royal Decree on Packaging and Packaging Waste will raise the cost of the industry by another 5,000 million euros, seriously endangering the survival of around 2,400 companies and more than 25,000 jobs.
For all these reasons, ANICE joins the request of the Spanish Federation of Food and Drink Industries (FIAB) and requests that the entry into force of the Tax on non-reusable plastic containers be delayed, as well as that it not adopt any regulatory or tax that adds more burdens and costs to companies in such difficult times.
Most member states have not opted for fiscal measures in circular economy legislation, with the exception of Italy, which regulated it before Spain.
However, and an example should be taken, the country has been postponing the entry into force of this tax on successive occasions, aware of the current economic situation.
In addition, Spanish regulations go beyond what is required by European directives and that places Spanish companies in inferior conditions compared to their counterparts in the rest of the EU.
On the other hand, there is not enough food-grade recycled plastic material available to meet the requirements established by the Law.
The meat industry is committed to sustainability. And so, last year it saved 48,952 tons of CO2 thanks to the recycling of its packaging, and implemented a total of 269 eco-design measures to improve the sustainability of its packaging, which meant a saving of 727,444 kilograms of raw materials, 1,284,654 cubic meters of water and 17,809 MW of energy, according to data provided by Ecoembes.
The president of ANICE, Alberto Jiménez, has expressed his concern. “In circumstances such as the current ones, companies cannot assume more costs and therefore we ask our Government to be sensitive to this situation and delay the entry into force of this tax which, if implemented now, will aggravate a situation of particular uncertainty where Companies fight for their survival. It's time to help and not put more obstacles".
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