Aims
The EU school scheme aims to support viable food production and promote healthy eating habits among children by encouraging the consumption of fruit and vegetables, milk and certain milk products in schools. This initiative aligns with the goals of the common agricultural policy (CAP) in terms of market stability and supply availability. Due to the increase in processed food consumption and rising obesity rates linked to poor diets and low physical activity, the EU actively promotes healthier diets and lifestyles for children.
Overview
The scheme supports the distribution of products, educational measures and information measures.
Distribution
The scheme supports the distribution of fruit, vegetables, milk and certain milk products to schoolchildren, from nursery to secondary school. EU countries approve a list of products (with appropriate involvement of their health and nutrition authorities) designed to help children maintain a healthy diet.
The priority is for fresh fruit and vegetables and for drinking milk.
To promote the consumption of specific products or to respond to specific nutritional needs of children in their territory, EU countries may also make processed fruit and vegetables such as juices and certain milk products such as yoghurt and cheese, available. Additionally, under strict conditions, milk-based drinks may be included.
Seasonality, variety, availability, health and environmental aspects underpin the choice of products.
EU countries may encourage local, short-supply chain, organic and quality scheme products if they wish. Generally, no added sugar, salt, fat and sweeteners or artificial flavours are allowed. The health and nutrition authorities in EU countries may allow, as an exception, limited quantities of added salt, fat and, for milk products, sugar.
Educational measures
The school scheme also incorporates engaging educational activities (lessons, farm visits, school gardens, tasting and cooking workshops) that inspire and inform students.
Through hands-on learning experiences, children discover the journey of food from farm to table, appreciate the hard work of local farmers, and understand the importance of sustainable agriculture. These activities not only enrich their knowledge but also foster respect and curiosity about where their food comes from.
Information measures
Funding is also available for information activities to ensure the visibility of the scheme, as well as monitoring and evaluation to account for the proper functioning of the scheme.
Review of the scheme
Budget
The total EU budget for the scheme amounts to €220.8 million per school year, consisting of up to €130.6 million for fruit and vegetables and up to €90.1 million for milk.
Each country may transfer part of its EU budget for fruit and vegetables to milk, or vice versa, depending on its priorities and needs. It may also request only part of its budget, or conversely more than its budget. More information is provided by the Commission in the report on the application of the budget allocation criteria and impact of budget transfers.
From school year 2023-24 onwards, aid applicants have the possibility to request advances (up to a maximum of 80% of the aid applicants are entitled to).
The European Commission adopts a decision to fix the EU budget by country for each school year:
Indicative EU budget by country for the period from 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2029
2025-26 school year – EU budget by country
2024-25 school year – EU budget by country
2023-24 school year – EU budget by country
Redistribution of 2022/23 funding to support displaced Ukrainian children
In June 2022, the Commission published a regulation which invited EU countries to review their requests for aid under the school scheme for the 2022-23 school year. This came in light of the unprecedented situation brought about by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which calls for solidarity between EU countries to ease the burden on those at the forefront of catering for displaced Ukrainian children.
EU countries submitted either the additional amount they were requesting under the scheme, or the amount of their national allocation that was not required. Any unused amounts were redirected to the countries welcoming the highest number of Ukrainian children. As a result, a total of 2.9 million euro was redistributed to cater for the needs of displaced Ukrainian children in EU schools.
School scheme by country
Countries that wish to participate in the scheme draw up a strategy, at national or regional level, covering a period of six years.
Each country's strategy outlines the objectives (such as an increase in fruit and vegetables consumption to meet the recommended five portions per day), the beneficiaries (e.g. children in primary schools), the products, the education activities and arrangements for the implementation of the scheme.
Each participating country is required to monitor and evaluate the scheme. Monitoring reports cover each school year. Selected data from EU countries’ annual monitoring reports are available on the EU school fruit, vegetables and milk scheme data portal.
Evaluation reports for the period 2017-22 were submitted to the Commission and the reports for all EU countries are available online. More information is also available in the synthesis and analysis study of the public consultation and evaluation reports of EU countries.
The Commission does not approve the countries’ strategies, or monitoring and evaluation reports. It makes them public, together with providing a contact point in each country for information on how to participate and details on implementation.
Strategies, evaluation, monitoring reports
School scheme contacts in EU countries
As of 1 February 2020, the United Kingdom is no longer a member of the European Union. This page includes information on its implementation of the school scheme when it was still a member of the European Union (school year 2017/2018 and 2018/2019) or continued to participate according to the Withdrawal Agreement (school year 2019/2020).
Legal bases
The following regulations set out the EU school fruit, vegetables and milk scheme (please refer to the consolidated version of each regulation):
- Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Articles 22 to 25 and Annex V;
- Council Regulation (EU) No 1370/2013, Article 5 and Annex I;
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/39, with rules for uniform implementation of the scheme;
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/40, with additional specific rules for the implementation of the scheme.
