Children received 61,570 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables, 107 million litres of drinking milk and 2,620 tonnes of cheese and curd, with 70.2% of participants attending primary schools. Alongside distribution, 1.3 million children visited farms or similar sites and 2.8 million took part in school garden activities. Total spending reached EUR 356 million, of which EUR 188 million came from the EU and EUR 168 million from national funding, which rose by around EUR 33 million compared with the previous school year.

The Commission's proposal for the next long-term budget would make the scheme mandatory within national plans, give Member States more flexibility, simplify the legal framework and strengthen links with health, social policy and public procurement. The scheme would continue to support healthy eating, sustainable food consumption, organic farming, local food chains and action against food waste.

#HealthyDietsEU #SustainableDiets #ShortSupplyChains