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School Fruit Scheme

2008/0146(CNS)

PURPOSE: to establish a common organisation of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agricultural products (Single CMO Regulation) in order to set up a School Fruit Scheme (SFS).

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Regulation (EC) No 13/2009 amending Regulations (EC) No 1290/2005 on the financing of the common agricultural policy and (EC) No 1234/2007 establishing a common organisation of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agricultural products (Single CMO Regulation) in order to set up a School Fruit Scheme.

CONTENT: the Council adopted a Regulation on the setting up of a school fruit and vegetables scheme. This programme is intended to effect a lasting increase in the proportion of fruit and vegetables in children's diets, at the age when they are developing their eating habits, and thus to contribute to the fight against obesity.

Its main features are as follows:

  • children aged 6 to 10 are the main target of the programme, but Member States may extend supply to creches, other pre-school establishments, and primary and secondary schools;
  • those Member States which wish to improve the programme may, in addition to the Community aid, grant national aid for the supply of the abovementioned products, and fund certain related costs. Thus they may grant national aid to finance accompanying measures;
  • Member States may choose from fresh or processed fruit or vegetables, including bananas, depending on objective criteria which include which fruit are in season, the availability of products, or environmental concerns. In this respect, Member States may give preference to products of Community origin;
  • the Community aid is fixed at EUR 90 million per school year. The aid cannot exceed 50 % of the costs of supply and related costs (75 % of such costs in convergence regions and the outermost regions), or cover costs other than the costs of supply and related costs explicitly referred to in the Regulation;
  • given the limited budget, Member States may call for contributions from the private sector;
  • any national programme already in place will not be eligible, unless Member State concerned wishes to extend the programme in question or to increase its effectiveness ("additionality" of the aid);
  • the programme will apply with effect from the 2009/2010 school year and the Commission will present a report on its implementation to the Council and the Parliament by 31 August 2012.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 16/01/2009.