Aid scheme for the supply of fruit and vegetables, bananas and milk in the educational establishments

PURPOSE: to promote the consumption of fruit and vegetables in schools.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2016/791 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013 and (EU) No 1306/2013 as regards the aid scheme for the supply of fruit and vegetables, bananas and milk in educational establishments

CONTENT: the Regulation amends Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013 and (EU) No 1306/2013 in order to put in place a new framework for the support of distribution of fruit and vegetables, bananas and milk to children in educational establishments, and includes provisions on the amount of the Union aid, and the method of allocation in Member States.

Promotion of healthy food: experience gained showed that continuation and strengthening of the two school schemes is of great importance, in particular in the current context of declining consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables and milk products, especially among children, and of an increasing incidence of child obesity as a result of unhealthy consumption habits, often high in added sugars, salt, fat or additives.

Accordingly, the Union aid to finance the supply to children in educational establishments of selected agricultural products aims to promote healthy eating habits and the consumption of local products.

Participation in the school scheme and eligible products: participation in the school scheme should continue to be voluntary for Member States, taking into account the different consumption patterns across Member States.

Member States wishing to participate in the aid scheme shall prioritise the distribution of products of either or both of the following groups:

• fruit and vegetables and fresh products of the banana sector;
• drinking milk and lactose-free versions thereof.

However, in order to promote the consumption of specific products and/or to respond to particular nutritional needs of children in their territory, Member States may provide for the distribution of:

• processed fruit and vegetable products, in addition to fresh fruit and vegetables;
• cheese, curd, yoghurt and other fermented or acidified milk products without added flavouring, fruit, nuts or cocoa, in addition to milk and lactose-free milk.

As a condition for its participation in the school scheme, a Member State shall draw up, prior to its participation in the school scheme, and subsequently every six years, at national or regional level, a strategy for the implementation of the scheme. 

Elements excluded from products distributed: the amending Regulation specifies that products distributed under the school scheme shall not contain added sugars, added salt, added fat, added sweeteners, or added artificial flavour enhancers E 620 to E 650.

Funding: the new scheme will have an overall yearly budget of EUR 250 million (milk products: EUR 100 million; fruit and vegetables: EUR 150 million). The EU contribution is allocated to Member States for the supply of these products in educational establishments. Union aid shall not replace funding for those existing national schemes, except for free distribution of meals to children in educational establishments.

The aid should be allocated to each Member State taking into account the number of six- to ten-year-old children in that Member State and the degree of development of the regions within that Member State. Higher aid should be allocated to less developed regions, to the smaller Aegean Islands and to the outermost regions.

Accompanying educational measures: Member States shall determine in their strategies the list of all the products to be supplied under the school scheme either through regular distribution or under accompanying educational measures. 

These measures may:

• include, inter alia, measures aimed at reconnecting children with agriculture through activities, such as farm visits, and the distribution of a wider variety of agricultural products with the help, for example, of nutrition experts and farmers;
• be designed to educate children about related issues, such as healthy eating habits, local food chains, organic farming, sustainable production or combating food waste.

Visibility of aid: the Commission may adopt delegated acts to clearly publicise Union support for implementing the scheme, including in relation to publicity tools and the common identifier or graphic elements.

Member States participating in the school scheme shall publicise, at school premises or other relevant places, their involvement in the scheme and the fact that it is subsidised by the Union. They may use any suitable publicity tools, which may include posters, dedicated websites, informative graphic material, and information and awareness-raising campaigns

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 13.6.2016.

APPLICATION: from 1.8.2017.

DELEGATED ACTS: the Commission may adopt delegated acts in respect of supplementing the list of excluded flavour enhancers set out in the Regulation and defining the maximum levels for added sugar, added salt and added fat in processed products, to ensure the efficient and targeted use of Union funds, the drawing up of the national or regional strategies and on the accompanying educational measures, the identification of costs and measures that are eligible for Union aid, and to promote awareness of the school scheme and to increase the visibility of Union aid.