Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Article 23 U.K. Aid for the supply of fruit and vegetables, processed fruit and vegetables and banana products to children

1. Union aid shall be granted for:

(a) the supply to children in the educational establishments referred to in Article 22 of products of the fruit and vegetables, processed fruit and vegetables, and bananas sectors; and

(b) certain related costs linked to logistics and distribution, equipment, publicity, monitoring, evaluation and accompanying measures.

2. Member States wishing to participate in the scheme shall draw up, at national or regional level, a prior strategy for its implementation. They shall also provide for the accompanying measures necessary to make the scheme effective, which may include information on measures for education about healthy eating habits, about local food chains and about combating food wastage.

3. When drawing up their strategies, Member States shall draw up a list of products of the fruit and vegetables, processed fruit and vegetables, and bananas sectors that will be eligible under their respective schemes. This list shall not include products that are listed in Annex V.

However, in duly justified cases, such as where a Member State wants to ensure a broad assortment of products under its scheme or wants to make its scheme more attractive, its strategy may provide that such products may become eligible if only limited amounts of the substances referred to in that Annex are added.

Member States shall ensure that their competent health authorities endorse the list of such products that are eligible under their scheme.

Member States shall choose their products on the basis of objective criteria which may include health and environmental considerations, seasonality, variety or availability of produce, giving priority, as far as practicable, to products originating in the Union, and particularly to local purchasing, local markets, short supply chains or environmental benefits.

4. Measures on fixing the Union aid referred to in paragraph 1 shall be taken by the Council in accordance with Article 43(3) TFEU.

5. The Union aid referred to in paragraph 1 shall be allocated to each Member State on the basis of objective criteria based on their proportion of six- to ten-year old children.

Member States participating in the scheme shall apply every year for Union aid on the basis of their strategy referred to in paragraph 2.

Measures on fixing the minimum amount of Union aid for each Member State participating in the scheme and on the indicative and definitive allocations of aid to Member States shall be taken by the Council in accordance with Article 43(3) TFEU.

6. Union aid provided for in paragraph 1 shall not be used to replace funding for any existing national school fruit schemes providing fruit and vegetables, processed fruit and vegetables, and bananas or other school distribution schemes that include such products.

However, if a Member State already has a scheme in place that would be eligible for Union aid under this Article and intends to extend it or make it more effective, including as regards the target group of the scheme, its duration or eligible products, Union aid may be granted provided that the limits set out in accordance with Article 43(3) TFEU are respected as regards the proportion of Union aid to the total national contribution. In such a case, the Member State shall indicate in its implementation strategy how it intends to extend its scheme or make it more effective.

7. Member States may, in addition to Union aid, grant national aid in accordance with Article 217.

8. The Union school fruit and vegetables scheme shall be without prejudice to any separate national school fruit and vegetables schemes which are compatible with Union law.

9. The Union may also finance, under Article 6 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013, information, monitoring and evaluation measures relating to the school fruit and vegetables scheme, including measures raising public awareness of it, and related networking measures.

10. Member States participating in the scheme shall publicise, at the places where the food is distributed, their involvement in the aid scheme and the fact that it is subsidised by the Union.