The final national envelopes available for the 2014/15 School Fruit Scheme in each participating Member State have been approved in the Management Committee this week. The decision takes into account the increase in EU funds available for the Scheme from €90 million to €150 million, that was agreed in the context of the CAP 2020 reform.
In addition to financing the distribution of fruits and vegetables in school, the funds will for the first time also be used for accompanying educational measures aimed at increasing fruit and vegetables consumption, so as to shape healthier eating habits.The main beneficiaries of the Scheme in 2014/2015 will be Italy, set to receive over € 29.2 million, followed by Germany (€ 22.8 million), Poland (€ 20.5 million), France (€ 15 million), Spain (€ 10.7 million), Romania (€ 6.8 million), the Czech Republic (€ 5.4 million), Netherlands (€ 5.4 million), Hungary (€ 5.4 million), and Bulgaria (€ 3.6 million).
In 2012/2013, 8.6 million children received fruit and vegetables at school in participating Member States. This was a 6% increase compared to 2011/2012].This will be the sixth year of the Scheme’s application since its launch in 2009 and 25 Member States have confirmed their participation in the programme with only Sweden, Finland and the United Kingdom opting out.
The EU funds are co-financing the Scheme, with the obligation for these funds to be complemented by national or private contributions.
The Scheme is an important EU-wide initiative in efforts to encourage healthier eating habits amongst school children as they are more likely to become lifelong habits if developed at an early age. Improved nutrition plays an important role in combating health problems related to poor nutrition, such as child obesity. Overweight and obesity are real concerns: in 2010 the WHO estimated that around 1 in 3 children between 6 and 9 in the EU are overweight or obese. This trend is increasing as the estimates for 2008 were 1 in 4.
