Free fruit and veg for schools from the European Commission

The European Commission wants to set up an EU-wide scheme to provide free fruit and vegetables to school children. The scheme could begin at the start of the 2009/2010 school year if approved by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.

"This proposal shows we're serious about taking concrete steps to fight obesity," said Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development. "Giving kids good habits at an early age is crucial as they will carry these into later life. Too many of our children eat far too little fruit and vegetables and often don't appreciate how delicious they are. You only have to walk down any high street in Europe to see the extent of the problems we face with overweight kids."

The scheme would be paid for with EU funds of €90 million per year and this would be matched by national funds in the countries which decide to take part in the programme. The School Fruit Scheme aims to encourage good eating habits in young people, which studies show tend to be carried on into later life.

An estimated 22 million children in the EU are overweight. More than 5 million these are obese and this figure is expected to rise by 400,000 every year. Improved nutrition can play an important part in combating this problem. The scheme is the latest in the Commission's efforts to improve health and nutrition, as set out in its 'Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity and related health issues'.

The World Health Organisation recommends a daily net intake of 400 grams of fruit and vegetables per person. The majority of Europeans fail to meet this target and the downward trend is particularly evident among the young. And research has also shown that families with a lower level of income tend to consume less fruit and vegetables. As such, the free fruit and vegetables at school of these healthy products can make a real difference, particularly in underprivileged areas.

National governments would have the choice of whether or not to participate in the scheme. The programmes would be co-financed, either on a 50/50 basis, or 75/25 in regions where GDP/capita is lower. This money could not be used to replace existing national financing, but would encourage additional activities, be it linked to existing programmes or creating completely new initiatives. And Member States could ofcourse add extra money if they wanted to.

National authorities would have to draw up a national strategy in conjunction with public health and education authorities, also involving industry and interest groups, tailored to national preferences.

Information and documents on the School Fruit Scheme are available at: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets/fruitveg/sfs/index_en.htm