€150 Million Approved For the School Fruit Scheme
The national allocation of the €150 million of EU funds for the School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme in 2015-16, proposed by the European Commission, has been accepted by Member States. This scheme aims at distributing portions of fruit and vegetables in schools, potentially reaching 12 million children aged 6 to 10 years old across the 25 participating Member States.
It was established in 2009 to reverse the trend of declining fruit and vegetables consumption by specifically addressing children. In turn, higher fruit and vegetables consumption is also supporting efforts to establish healthier eating habits amongst school children. Nutrition plays an important role in combating health problems related to poor nutrition, such as child obesity. Since 2014, the scheme also co-funds accompanying educational measures to explain the potential benefits.
