It is open war between France and Coca Cola. After the choice of the transalpine government to tax carbonated drinks (as well as to increase the prices of cigarettes and alcohol), already heavily criticized at home by the National Association of Food Industries (Ania), the company most affected by the measure goes on the counterattack : will question its investment plan of 17 million euros for a new factory on French territory (Bouches du Rhone region).
The new tax, launched by the Fillon government on 24 August and effective for 2012, is part of both the French government's austherity plan with the introduction and increase of some taxes, and the health prevention campaign (see also increases in tobacco and alcohol prices), in particular against obesity, strongly desired by the prime minister himself.
The decision was strongly criticized by the transalpine agri-food industry, which through the President of the national association (Ania) has openly defended the American company. “Coca-Cola – says Jean-René Buisson – is one of those companies that has adhered to the agreement signed with the government for the reduction of the percentage of sugar and support for a food education policy. The Fillon tax – concludes Buisson – is nothing more than the gratuitous stigmatization of food products whose harmfulness to health has not been scientifically proven at all”.
Coca-Cola, for its part, has however clarified that the project to open a factory in France (with an investment of over 17 million euros) has not been officially shelved, it is for now a "symbolic protest for the government to withdraw the provision”, but “will necessarily have to be revisited in the context of the new legislation”. “The planned investment – concludes the American company – was to serve to launch a new production line in what should become the second Coca-Cola factory in France in terms of productivity, with 203 employees and which for 5 years has already received investments of around 45 million euros”.
Read the article on Le Figaro
