EU proposes free fruit and veg school scheme
Thursday, 10 Jul 2008 08:25
Free fruit and vegetables could be given to schools in the EU
Free fruit and vegetables could be handed to school children throughout Europe in a bid to encourage healthy eating habits at a young age.
An estimated 22 million children in the EU are overweight. More than five million of these are obese and this figure is expected to rise by 400,000 every year.
The European Commission proposal, worth £90 million per year, would pay for the purchase and distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables to schools.
This money would be matched by national funds in member states that choose to make use of the programme.
As well as providing free fruit and vegetables the School Fruit Scheme would require participating member states to set up national strategies including educational and awareness-raising initiatives.
Mariann Fischer Boel, commissioner for agriculture and rural development, said the proposal shows the European Commission is "serious about taking concrete steps to fight obesity".
"Giving kids good habits at an early age is crucial as they will carry these into later life," she added.
"Too many of our children eat far too little fruit and vegetables and often don't appreciate how delicious they are. You only have to walk down any high street in Europe to see the extent of the problems we face with overweight kids. Let's do something about it."
The proposal will now be sent to the European Parliament for consideration.