fruit and vegetables

[EPHAC response] Review of the CAP schemes providing agricultural products to school children

This article is a contribution to DG Agriculture public consultation on the Review of the CAP Schemes Providing Agricultural Products to School Children EPHAC response to CONSULTATION ON THE REVIEW OF THE CAP SCHEMES PROVIDING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS TO SCHOOL CHILDREN EPHAC response is based on our reflection on the Commission’s consultation background documents. Summary: EPHAC welcomes the opportunity to provide the European Commission with input from a public health angle in (...)

Evaluation of the EU School Fruit Scheme 2012: promising results

The scheme, agreed by the Council in 2008 and fully supported by the European Parliament, is an important EU-wide initiative providing fruit and vegetables to schoolchildren. To date, the EU School Fruit Scheme’s evaluation shows an adequate and necessary contribution to more balanced nutrition in the vulnerable target group. Small modifications in the implementation of the EU School Fruit Scheme will further increase and deepen the Scheme’s impact. The main objective of the EU (...)

European Charter for Health Equity - open for signatures through 2012

After being officially launched on 9 December 2010, the European Charter for Health Equity will be open for signatures for a year (end 2011). We invite all relevant stakeholders, organisations and institutions to sign the Charter. We count on your active involvement! We have just over 160 signatories on our list of supporters! The European Charter for Health Equity has been opened for signatures until the end of 2012. To sign the European Charter for Health Equity please follow the (...)

Press Release: Taxing junk food to raise revenue and fight against obesity, argues EPHA

Today, 28th March 2012, the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) Europe’s leading NGO advocating for better health outlined that taxing unhealthy food and subsidizing fruits and vegetables would not only support the fight against obesity but would also raise public revenues in a time of austerity. Press Release ***For immediate release*** 28 March 2012 Taxing junk food to raise revenue and fight against obesity, argues EPHA Today, 28th March 2012, the European Public Health (...)

90 million euro for the EU School Fruit Scheme for 2012/2013

The allocation of EU aid under the School Fruit Scheme for the 2012/2013 school year has been backed by Member States in the Management Committee on 6 March and the Commission’s formal adoption is set to follow in the upcoming weeks. The EU funding of € 90 million will be allocated to the 24 participating Member States as proposed by the Commission, based on the population of 6-10 year old children and the needs expressed by each participating Member State. Sweden, Finland and (...)

Thumbs up for the School Milk and School Fruit Schemes of the EU

On 23 January 2012, Agriculture Ministers of EU Member States adopted conclusions on special report from the European Court of Auditors on the School Milk and School Fruit Schemes. Both reports conclude that the Schemes are very positive. Ministers also call on both schemes to provide high nutritional quality and to improve diets. The ECA report entitled "Are the School Milk and School Fruit Schemes effective?" The report conclusions pointed out the EU School Fruit Scheme (EU SFS) as (...)

EPHAC Press Release: Legislative proposals for the CAP towards 2020 do not go far enough

The Commission published their vision for the Common Agriculture Policy towards 2020. The European Public Health and Agriculture Consortium (EPHAC) welcomes the European Commission’s recognition of the urgent challenges of climate change and increasing pressure on the world’s resources. However, EPHAC believes the proposals largely ignore public health and do not go far enough towards a truly sustainable food and farming policy. "The Commission Communication on the CAP in (...)

EU School Fruit Scheme budget to be cut by 30% from 2012 onwards

Currently, the EU School Fruit Scheme (SFS) is up in its second year of implementation, running in 24 Member States, reaching almost 5 million schoolchildren in 32.000 schools. However, in times of austerity, Member States in the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) have suggested a cut of 29 % in budget. The EU School Fruit Scheme (SFS) builds on experiences from Members States and evidence from studies examining the effectiveness of school fruit schemes in increasing fruit (...)

European Court of Auditors evaluates the School Fruit Scheme as more effective than the Milk Scheme

The European Court of Auditor’s report concludes that the EU School Fruit Scheme (EU SFS) is more effective than the EU School Milk Scheme (EU SMS), while Member States plan to cut its budget by 30% from 2012 onwards. Auditors also recommend to use high nutritional quality foodstuff in each scheme. Although too early to properly evaluate the School Fruit Scheme, the ECA report - Are the School Milk and School Fruit Schemes effective? - concludes that the EU SFS seems to be more (...)

European Commission consultation on "Promoting the tastes of Europe"

The European Commission launched a debate on the future of promotion and information schemes for EU agricultural products. The deadline is the 30 September 2011. This is particularly relevant for the health community as it will touch upon the promotion of - inter alia - nutritious (and non nutritious) food, alcohol products. The objective of the consultation on the future of promotion and information schemes for EU agricultural products is to look at how agricultural products could be (...)