Overview

• Ramona Pop’s Bundesverband der Verbraucherzentralen has stepped up calls for lower electricity taxes and subsidies to ease persistent increases in food and power bills.
• Federal Statistical Office data show food prices rose 2.2% in July year-on-year, outpacing the 2.0% overall inflation rate.
• Advocates propose a formal price-monitoring system and mandatory labeling of deceptive “Mogelpackungen” to reveal supply-chain markups.
• A spokesperson for the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs says price trends are under close review but no specific policy measures have been announced.
• Industry groups, led by Lebensmittelverband’s Christoph Minhoff, argue rising costs stem from higher energy, raw material and labor expenses and reject further transparency mandates.