Free fruit and veg for schools

The European Commission said that these funds have been introduced to tackle the increasing problem of obesity. Around 22 million children in the EU are overweight, and more of than 5 million of these are clinically obese. These figures are soaring by 400,000 every year. Under the Commission plan, this scheme will only operate in governments prepared to contribute an equivalent sum to the cost of supplying schools in their own country. Mariaan Fischer Boel, EU Agriculture Commissioner, commented on the proposal: "Giving kids good habits at an early age is crucial as they will carry these into later life." She continued: "Too many of our children ear far too little fruit and vegetables and often don't appreciate how delicious they are."