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Meeting of the Federal Council in Berlin: The Budget Financing Act is missing from the agenda on Friday
Photo: Demy Becker / dpa
On Friday, the Federal Council will not address the federal government's planned and controversial cancellation of diesel tax breaks for farmers. The budget financing law, which contains the measure, is not on the state chamber's agenda on Friday. This was announced by a spokesman for the Federal Council.
The law is scheduled to be passed in the Bundestag on Friday morning; The coalition's plans originally called for the law to be finally discussed in the Federal Council on the same day.
This would have required shortening the consultation periods in the state chamber - but there is apparently a lack of support for this. This means that the topic will probably not be debated until March 22nd. The next regular meeting of the Federal Council is scheduled for that day. The Federal Council does not have to approve the Budget Financing Act, but could object and appeal to the Mediation Committee.
The traffic light coalition plans to gradually reduce subsidies for agricultural diesel. So far, companies have been able to get a partial refund of the energy tax for diesel - with a reimbursement of 21.48 cents per liter. This should be reduced gradually. There will no longer be any subsidies for quantities consumed in 2026. This is already a slimmed-down version of the original austerity plans, against which there were massive protests. But reducing subsidies over several years also meets with resistance.
The State Secretary for Saxony at the federal level, Conrad Clemens, wrote on This gives time to respond to the farmers' demands again.
In the Federal Council, it was not only Union-led states that were in favor of postponing discussions on the budget financing law. The SPD-led states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Saarland submitted a motion for a resolution that will be discussed on Friday. It says that the agricultural sector is being burdened disproportionately. There should be a significantly longer period for the reduction of the agricultural diesel tax refund in order to enable the development and switch to alternative fuels, as well as practical and economically viable alternative drive technologies.
In addition to the changes to agricultural diesel, the law for 2024 provides, among other things, for a higher aviation tax. In addition, the planned tightening of sanctions for citizens' money is to be limited to two years. It is planned that job centers will be allowed to cut off citizen's benefit for unemployed people for a maximum of two months if those affected repeatedly refuse to accept reasonable jobs.
ulz/dpa/AFP