December 24, 2008
Denmark proposes tax on Danish pork slaughtered in Germany
In a bid to prevent further closures of Danish pig slaughter and processing companies, the Danish slaughter workers' union NNF has called on the government to impose levies on Danish finished pigs slaughtered in Germany.
Over recent years live pig exports, particularly to Germany, have increased to over 6 million head, thus shaving potential pig slaughters in Denmark.
NNF chairman, Ole Wehlast, has demanded the government to intervene, calling on it to make exports of live pigs to Germany a less attractive option.
Meanwhile, Jens Kirk, a food spokesperson for the liberal political party 'Venestre', rebuked that such a policy would be against the EU principle of free trade.
However, he did admit that it was important to quicken the pig production industry's expansion, which "has been hindered by delayed regional environmental expansion approval".
