Spain: meat industry raises concerns about plastic tax

Although the cost of energy has come down, the MEAT industry has experienced a slowdown in production growth along with high inflation, and access to credit remains difficult. Group President Javier Dueñas moderated the meeting, which began with a review of the Royal Decree on Packaging and Packaging Waste, which is reported to add €5,000 million to the value of the food industry.

Paloma Sanchez, DIRECTOR of FIAB's Competitiveness and Sustainability Department, presented an overview of packaging regulation in the European Union and in Spain. The issue of a tax on plastics was also addressed, given that Spain was the only country in the EU that applied this tax, which the sector complains about, firstly, because of its huge economic impact on the entire food industry, and secondly . because it puts the sector at a disadvantage compared to its EU counterparts, going beyond what is required by European regulations.

While other countries have chosen to delay the entry into force of the tax so as not to burden the national economy, already hit by the energy crisis and inflation, the Spanish government has decided to lead the application of this new tax, which reduces the competitiveness of the strategic sector.

The conference also served as an analysis of the new obligations for companies in the Food Contracts Register under the Food Chain Law and established by Royal Decree 1028/2022, reminding companies that purchasers of agricultural and food products are required to register contracts for primary producers and their groups. The register entered into force on January 1, and from July 1 it will be mandatory to register changes made to already signed contracts.