The Management Committee of the EU School Fruit Scheme agreed on the final national envelopes available for the 2014/15 operating period of the Scheme in each participating Member State. The decision takes into account the increase in EU funds from €90 million to €150 million, that was agreed in the context of the most recent CAP 2020 reform.
In addition to financing the distribution of fruit and vegetables in educational settings, the funds will, for the first time, also be used for accompanying educational measures aimed at increasing milk (in addition to 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), The Netherlands (€ 5.4 million), Hungary (€ 5.4 million), and Bulgaria (€ 3.6 million).
In the 2012/2013 operating period, 8.6 million children across the EU received fruit and vegetables at school in participating Member States. This was a 6% increase on 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.
EU funds are co-financing the Scheme, with the obligation for these funds to be complemented by national or private contributions.
– More information can be found on DG Agriculture website here.
