Overview

• The Bavarian cabinet has officially prohibited municipalities from introducing packaging taxes, with plans to enshrine the ban into state law.
• Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann justified the decision as necessary to reduce administrative and financial burdens on businesses and citizens.
• The ban follows a Federal Constitutional Court ruling in January 2025 that upheld the legality of municipal packaging taxes, which have been used in cities like Tübingen to reduce waste.
• Critics, including the Bayerischer Städtetag and Deutsche Umwelthilfe, argue the ban is an overreach that limits local autonomy and tools for addressing single-use waste.
• Cities like Bamberg and Regensburg, which had considered implementing such taxes, express frustration, citing the measures as critical for waste reduction and municipal revenue.