Brussels, 18/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - The national allocation of the €150 million of EU funding for the school fruit and vegetables scheme in 2015-16, proposed by the European Commission, has been accepted by member states, the Commission announced on Wednesday 18 March.
This scheme seeks to distribute portions of fruit and vegetables in schools, potentially reaching 12 million children aged 6 to 10 years old across the 25 participating member states (all except the United Kingdom, Sweden and Finland). It was established in 2009 to reverse the trend of declining fruit and vegetables consumption by specifically addressing children.
The main beneficiaries of the scheme are Germany (€28 million in EU funding), Italy (€26.7 million), Poland (€18 million), France (€15 million), Spain (€11.5 million), Romania (€6.8 million), the Netherlands (€5.4 million), the Czech Republic (€4.8 million). The rate of cofinancing by the EU averages 79%, ranging from 75% in Germany and Spain to 90% in Bulgaria and the Baltic States. (Lionel Changeur)