Vienna has its first green hydrogen plant
The facility will be able to power 60 buses daily
The regions which are the biggest producers of fruit juices argue that legislation is misleading
Last month, Spanish authorities announced that they will raise the VAT on soft drinks, juices and nectars which contain added sugar or sweeteners from 10% to 21%. The argument that has been put forward in defence of this measure was the drive to bring about healthier habits in consumption among the population and to bring some additional money to the coffers to be used for palliating the effects of the COVID-19 crisis.
The decision, however, has stirred considerable controversy in the Iberian country from consumer groups and soft drinks manufacturers. The latest challenge to the new tax comes from the autonomous regions of Murcia, Valencia and Andalusia, whose authorities have protested in a letter to the national Ministry of Consumption that the proposed legislation completely misses the mark and will be harmful to local economies.
The agricultural ministers from the three Mediterranean regions have decided to present a unified front against the VAT tax with the claim that the legislation is misleading right from its inception and that it shows poor understanding and an unfair targeting of that particular manufacturing sector.
The text of the letter has emphasized that “unsweetened juices and nectars, by definition and by law, cannot contain added sugar or sweeteners of any kind. They can only be 100 percent fruit or 100 percent fruit and vegetables, as clearly indicated on the labeling".
The authorities also defend the regional producers with the argument that technology of production has been regularly upgraded in the past two decades in order to ensure precision and that what is written on the labels effectively corresponds to European regulations.
The Government of Murcia had also co-signed another letter sent to various Ministries in the national government by representatives of agricultural unions and producers which states that the VAT increase is bound to have a negative long-term impact on the rural economy there.
Agriculture is still an important sector in the South of Spain and particularly in Murcia where it is considered to be the main employer in the countryside and, as a consequence, the main obstacle to rural exodus and depopulation.
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
The previous mayor was forced out of office following a no-confidence vote in the city council
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
The facility will replace the need to have water supplied by tankers from Valencia
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
The German Aerospace Center in Cologne is looking for volunteers for its next bed rest study
The facility will replace the need to have water supplied by tankers from Valencia
The intervention has affected the mountainous districts of the Catalan capital
Two million euros will go towards the effort that will try to refresh its original splendour
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
The project aims to urge pedestrians to live even healthier lives
The blaze has been dubbed the Danish capital’s own “Notre Dame” tragedy
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team