In February, the Citizens’ Assembly “Nutrition in Transition” presented a report with nine political recommendations with a total of 160 selected voluntary participants from across Germany. Nothing has happened so far. This causes anger for part of the district. 28 women and men from the Citizens’ Assembly have now written a letter of protest to Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD): “We would like the factions of the German Bundestag to work together in a goal- and result-oriented manner in this legislative period in order to partially implement our recommendations “do not necessarily require tax money,” says the letter that WESER-KURIER has received. “The introduction of an age limit of 16 years for the sale of energy drinks, for example, could be implemented relatively quickly.”
But the Citizens’ Assembly also made other recommendations. For example, the demand for free lunch for children in daycare centers and schools. In the future, an animal welfare label should reflect birth, rearing, husbandry, transport and slaughter according to the participants’ ideas. According to the Council’s ideas, VAT could be eliminated for organic fruit and vegetables from the European Union as well as for legumes such as peas, nuts, whole grains and mineral water. Sugar, on the other hand, should no longer be considered a staple food and should be taxed at 19 percent in the future. Citizens say that a balanced diet must also be ensured in hospitals, rehabilitation clinics and care facilities.
“The Citizens’ Council’s recommendations are very detailed and very well thought out. The participants deserve to have their suggestions implemented,” says Peggy Schierenbeck, SPD member of the Bundestag from Weyhe and rapporteur for her party in the Nutrition Committee. Schierenbeck has a simple explanation for why this hasn’t worked out as hoped so far: “The fact that we have implemented so little of it so far is also due to the FDP, which is putting the brakes on key points. For example, the Liberals reject the increase the age limit for energy drinks or the increase in VAT on sugar, even though pediatricians and nutritionists are at our door every day and are urging us to finally implement the suggestions.”
Ulrike Harzer, FDP chairwoman on the committee, explains her party’s refusal to implement the Council’s recommendations on energy drinks: “Every product poses a health risk if consumed excessively. That’s why energy drinks should also be consumed responsibly. I don’t believe in blanket ban fantasies, but rather Rather, it is about education. Because a ban would mean that young people in particular would no longer buy legal products in regular sales outlets, but rather from potentially dubious dealers on the Internet. Bans generally do not restrict consumption, but rather the safety of consumption .”
The two Bremen participants in the committee, Detlef Saraktsanis and Nicola Willkeit, did not sign the letter from the 28 women and men. They were not asked by the initiators. “It was clear to me from the start that the recommendations would probably not be implemented during this legislative period,” says Detlef Sarakatsanis. “Many politicians explained this to us in advance,” says the 76-year-old from Oberneuland. This is partly due to the different responsibilities of the federal and state governments, but in some questions it is also due to a lack of money. “In politics you have to drill hard,” emphasizes Sarakatsanis, but still hopes that perhaps “half of the proposals will be implemented” in the coming legislative period.
Nicola Willkeit is more skeptical about the future. “No, I don’t expect any of our suggestions to be implemented,” said the IT administrator from Findorff. “I’m a little frustrated because I’ve put a lot of time, work and energy into the Citizens’ Assembly.” The slow implementation is also the reason why she has withdrawn in the meantime. The participants in the citizens’ assembly have the right to continue to follow the work of the responsible specialist committee and, as informed citizens, they can also have their say at the meetings in Berlin.
The chairman of the Nutrition Committee of the German Bundestag, Hermann Färber (CDU), also reacted angrily to the slow implementation of the recommendations: “In my view, the Citizens’ Assembly is rightly upset. Obviously the traffic light coalition does not agree on the implementation and is therefore threatening the recommendations should disappear in a drawer. This is not how we should deal with the Citizens’ Assembly.”
“If none of the nine recommendations are taken up and implemented, this would damage trust in the instrument and democracy in general,” wrote the 28 participants in the citizens’ assembly. Peggy Schierenbeck can understand the anger: “The words of the authors of the letter are perhaps a little overstated. There is of course no legal right for Parliament to implement the recommendations. But at the same time, we consciously set up the Citizens’ Assembly with the aim of: “I can understand the frustration that he makes suggestions to us that we then want to take up.”
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