Brussels, 08/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission announced on Thursday 7 April how the €150 million from the EU budget would be allocated among the member states for the distribution of fruit and vegetables in schools under the Community scheme for 2016-17.
In addition to the €150 million in European funding, national or private funding in 25 member states (Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom are not taking part in the scheme) will provide a top-up of €40 million. The average rate of EU co-financing is 79% in the participating countries. Of the three largest beneficiaries, Germany will receive the largest share of the European funding, €30,300,000, Italy will receive €25,900,000 and France €15,000,000.
In the 2014-15 school year, more than 10.2 million children benefitted from this scheme, an increase of 4% on 2013-2014.
The scheme seeks to encourage healthier eating habits in school children since they are more likely to become lifelong habits if adopted from an early age. Healthier eating plays an important role in combatting health problems related to poor nutrition.
The Council commissioned the European scheme to distribute fruit and vegetables in schools after figures revealed that, in 2006, almost 22 million children in the EU25 were overweight and, of these, 5.1 million were considered obese, and it was launched in 2009.
The 2016-17 scheme will be the last in its current form. On 1 August, the fruit and vegetable distribution scheme will be merged with the milk distribution scheme. It is expected that the Agriculture Council, meeting in Luxembourg on Monday 11 April, will adopt the new regulation, without debate, on aid for the provision of fruit and vegetables, bananas and milk in schools (see EUROPE 11525). (Original version in French by Maëlle Didion, intern)