For the first time in 2017, the two so-called school schemes will be merged into one single scheme for simpler management at European and national level. The aim of the scheme remains the same, however - to increase the share of healthy food products in the diet of young people.

Of the €250 million agreed for 2017–2018, roughly €150 million will be allocated for fruit and vegetables and €100 million for milk. The money is used not only to provide fruit, vegetables and milk to schoolchildren but also to support teaching about agriculture and healthy diets, information about the scheme, monitoring and evaluation.

As well as agreement on the total allocation for the scheme, an indicative allocation of the funding to each member state was also made, based on the number of school-age children and, for the milk, also on the previous use of EU funds.

Countries have the freedom to request less or more, should additional funding be available, within the agreed overall budget. Under the new unified scheme, money that is allocated to a member state but not requested, for whatever reason, can be reallocated elsewhere within the scheme by the Commission.

The decision fixing the definitive allocation of EU funding to each member state was voted by the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets and should be adopted by the Commission around the end of March.

EU funding for school year 2017–2018

Via ec.europa.eu