Brussels, 06/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 6 March, the Management Committee approved the allocation of €90 million in EU aid under the 2012-2013 scheme to distribute fruit and vegetables in schools. The School Fruit Scheme money will be allocated among the 24 member states taking part (all apart from Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom) and will target children in the 6-10 year old category. The scheme was launched in 2009 to encourage children to eat more healthily by increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables at school.
The main beneficiaries of the scheme in 2012-2013 will be Italy (set to receive over €20.5 million), Germany (€11.6 million), Romania (€9.8 million), Poland (€9.2 million), France (€5.6 million) and Spain (€4.8 million). Figures for 2010-2011 show that more than 8 million children benefitted from the scheme by receiving portions of fruit and vegetables in schools. These EU funds need to be co-financed at rates between 50% and 75%, that is, they must be matched by national and/or private contributions.
In its proposals for the reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP), the Commission proposes to further strengthen the scheme, raising its annual budget to €150 million, increasing the rates of co-financing and extending the list of eligible measures.