Today, the European Commission (EC) approved the European Union (EU)-wide School Fruit Scheme (SFS), providing €90 million ($US113 million) a year to allow all 27 EU countries to implement free school fruit and vegetable snack programs. With final approval from the EC’s Council of Agriculture Ministers during meetings in Brussels this week, so culminates more than a year and a half of intense planning and policy work under the leadership of the EC’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) Commissioner Marianne Fischer Bols, Director General Lars Hoelgaard, and Felix Mittermayer.

United Fresh, together with colleagues at Freshfel in Brussels and European public health organizations, played a leadership role in building a strong policy case for these funds with the DG AGRI. Dr Lorelei DiSogra is slated to deliver a keynote address at the SFS Conference in Brussels, December 15-16, where she will be the lone American representative. "I am just thrilled that that the EC has approved the funding for the SFS. It’s been an honor to work with DG AGRI and my European public health colleagues on this critically important child nutrition policy initiative. As an association, we’ve worked tirelessly to bring this program to schools across the US, and it is great to see it expand to Europe," she said.

Funding will become available to member countries for the 2009-10 school year following acceptance of an implementation plan from each country. The SFS, as outlined in the Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity and Related Health Issues, aims to encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetables and continue these healthier eating habits into adult life. For more information on the SFS or the December conference, please contact Lorelei at 202-303-3400.