The aid scheme for the supply of fruit and vegetables, bananas and milk in educational establishments
Opinion factsheet
F’din il-paġna
- Agriculture, Maritime and Consumer policies
- Agricultural policy
Opinion number:
CDR-1278-2014
Status:
Adottati
Objective
• possibility of redistribution - proposed 15 percent are not enough, the push shall be at least towards 30;
• possibility to redistribute unused national quotas among MSs'. The effective way to boost the best performers by not punishing much the worst performers.
• no new administrative burdens and no new competencies;
• public procurement - push towards possibility for the favouring of local made produce, this way reducing carbon footprint and increasing sustainability;
• demand for minimum quality standards of supplied foodstuffs - would strengthen the programme
• possibility to redistribute unused national quotas among MSs'. The effective way to boost the best performers by not punishing much the worst performers.
• no new administrative burdens and no new competencies;
• public procurement - push towards possibility for the favouring of local made produce, this way reducing carbon footprint and increasing sustainability;
• demand for minimum quality standards of supplied foodstuffs - would strengthen the programme
Essential points
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
- welcomes the proposal to merge the schemes for distributing milk and fruit in schools and to lay down common rules for their co-financing, as well as the recommendations on increasing efficiency and improving coordination;
- recommends improving the aid scheme for the distribution of fruit and vegetables and milk in schools by providing the option of switching national aid allocations;
- is concerned about the obligation imposed on the Member States under the Regulation to monitor the scheme , and in particular about the red tape this obligation would entail for national as well as local and regional authorities in the Member States, and urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure that red tape associated with monitoring the scheme is kept to a minimum;
- taking account of ongoing discussions on the degree of processing of products eligible for aid under this scheme and given the importance of the principle of establishing a healthy diet at an early age, suggests that financial support under the aid scheme should be limited to products that are unprocessed or minimally processed, and which contain no harmful additives, sweetening agents, flavour enhancers or salt;
- calls for these schemes to allow for the possibility of prioritising support for local production and short marketing chains and urges that priority also be given to organic food products