EU School Scheme

On 1 August 2017, the School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme (SFVS) merged with the School Milk Scheme (SMS) under a single EU financial and legal framework. Previously operating as separate schemes for milk, fruit and vegetables, the new merged scheme, like the individual schemes it replaced, is designed to help promote the benefits of healthy eating to children and encourage them to increase their consumption of fruit, vegetables and milk.

The merger followed recommendations put forward by the European Court of Auditors and other external evaluations for improvements in the set-up and functioning of the school scheme. The rationale behind the recommendations was that the combination of the SFVS and the SMS under a joint new financial and legal framework would simplify the rules, reduce the administrative burden and adopt a more targeted approach.

The new Scheme operates under a legal framework as follows:

Basic Regulation: Regulation (EU) 2016/791 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013 and (EU) No 1306/2013 as regards the aid scheme for the supply of fruit and vegetables, bananas and milk in educational establishments

Financial: Council Regulation (EU) 2016/795 amending Regulation (EU) No 1370/2013 determining measures on fixing certain aids and refunds related to the common organisation of the markets in agricultural product.

Detailed technical rules: Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/40 of 3 November 2016 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to Union aid for the supply of fruit and vegetables, bananas and milk in educational establishments and amending Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 907/2014.

Implementing Regulation: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/39 of 03 November 2016 on rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to Union aid for the supply of fruit and vegetables, bananas and milk in educational establishments

The EU School Scheme is funded through the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and has an overall combined annual budget of €250 million. Ireland is entitled to an annual draw down, subject to satisfying the relevant EU Regulations of €1.75 m for the SFVS and €0.9m for the SMS. National funding is also made available on an annual basis to run both the SFVS and the SMS in Ireland.

The School Fruit and Vegetables component of the school scheme is implemented in Ireland through the national Food Dudes Programme

The Food Dudes Programme (FDP), is an evidence based, incentivised behaviour changing programme which was developed by Prof Fergus Lowe in Bangor University, Wales, and aims to encourage increased consumption of fruit and vegetables by primary school children by changing attitudes and cultivating a liking for fruit and vegetables. Under its horticulture remit, Bord Bia manages and oversees implementation of the Food Dudes Programme.

It is based on 3 core principles, which are:

• Repeated Tasting of raw fruit and vegetables which cultivates a liking for fruit and vegetables
• Role Models which take the form of cartoon characters (Food Dudes)
• Rewards small prizes which incentivise the school children to take part and eat the fruit and vegetables

Through the programme, portions of raw fruit and vegetable portions are provided to primary school children over an intervention period of 16 consecutive school days (called Phase 1).

Supporting materials such as consumption diaries, a DVD of the Food Dude superheroes, some prizes, certificates and school room wall charts are also provided to maintain fruit and vegetable consumption in the longer term. After the initial 16 days of produce delivery, phase 2 of the programme commences which sees the focus switch to the home (which can run for a number of weeks) and which sees children bring in their own fruit & vegetable portions from home in Food Dudes lunchboxes distributed at the end of Phase 1.

The Food Dudes Programme was first rolled out in Ireland in 2005 and ran till 2014. In all, 3,127 primary schools (95% of Irish primary schools) and 477,423 primary school children took part. Building on its success, a Food Dudes Boost Programme was rolled out in 2014 with a focus on younger children.

• Junior Cycle (Junior Infants to Second Class) taste fruit and vegetables daily for 16 days
• Senior Cycle (Third Class to Sixth Class) taste fruit and vegetables on 8 tasting days during the same period, allowing for accelerated delivery of the programme to schools
• Over 4 years to 31 July 2018, all 3,300 primary schools have had an opportunity to participate.

The Food Dudes Programme has been evaluated a number of times. All evaluations showed that the Food Dudes Programme effectively increased fruit and vegetables consumption amongst its target group and that a sustained pattern of eating more fruit and vegetables was established amongst participating children. The most recent evaluation was carried out in 2016 by an expert team from UCD and evaluated the long term impact of the Food Dudes Programme on schools that participated in the 2010-2011 school year. The results showed that the number of senior pupils bringing and consuming fruit and vegetables, remained significantly higher than before the Food Dudes intervention.

In line with the six-year Statement of Strategy submitted by Ireland to the EU in July 2017, the Food Dudes Programme has been further developed and fine tuned to deliver a more improved programme to school children with a particular focus on better communications, enhanced accompanying measures and accelerated delivery to schools.

The EU School Milk Scheme has operated in Ireland since 1982 with the objective of promoting and encouraging the consumption of milk amongst school children. This involves the daily distribution of c. 189mls of drinking milk (whole milk and skimmed milk) to participating children in approximately 550 nursery, pre-school, primary and post-primary schools. Milk is supplied to the schools on a charged basis by their local participating dairy co-operative. To pay the cost a parental contribution applies. The EU contribution is used to reduce this parental cost.

The EU school milk scheme also partly supports two national schemes:

• A statutory Urban School Meals Scheme for primary schools operated by Local Authorities and part-financed by the Department of Social Protection. Pupils are entitled to half a sandwich, a carton of milk and a piece of fruit. Around 330 primary schools avail of this scheme throughout the country.
• • A non-statutory School Meals Local Projects Scheme under which the Department of Social Protection provides funding directly to primary schools, secondary schools and local groups and voluntary organisations which operate their own school meals projects. Priority is currently given to schools which are part of the Department of Education & Skills’ initiative for disadvantaged schools, ‘Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools’ (DEIS). Funding under the School Meals Local Projects Scheme is based on a rate of payment per meal, per child, per day.

The milk and cheese components of these School Meal Schemes are eligible to receive aid under the EU School Milk Scheme at the appropriate rates.

The School Milk component of the scheme is managed through the National Dairy Council (NDC), www.moocrew.ie

DAFM with the NDC have commenced work to devise a new model of implementation to halt the decline and increase participation. The new model will focus on enhanced communication, new accompanying measures and the reduction of the parental contribution.

• Minister Creed Highlights the Importance of School Milk Scheme - 23 April 2018