Debate on Fruit and milk in schools during the EP plenary session in Brussels.

Brussels

debate

plenary session

TARABELLA, Marc (NI, BE)

NICHOLSON, James (ECR, UK)

CARTHY, Matt (GUE/NGL, IE)

HOGAN, Phil (IE, EC)

healthy food in schools (T)

DE CASTRO, Paolo (S&D, IT)

RIBEIRO, Sofia (EPP, PT)

Fruit and milk in schools: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (French), Marc TARABELLA (S&amp;D, BE), rapporteur, The priority should be given to fresh fruit and vegetables because children tend to go for mashed and other forms of compote rather than fresh fruit.  I think that enduing this program, the school program will really help children to reconnect with agriculture and indeed support  local farmers, and indeed european farmers, because local and organic products have to be promote.

SOUNDBITE (French), Marc TARABELLA , rapporteur, I am not sure that the chocolate milk should be the answer because I think that sweetened or flavoured products with too much sugar are not perhaps the right answer. I think that we in the EP cannot claim to be fighting obesity if we provide products to children which contain sugar and added flavours.

SOUNDBITE (English), Phil HOGAN, EU Commissioner , I am aware that the Commission decision to evaluate the schools schemes and recommend to the legislators and holding discussions on the proposal caused some early concern at the Parliament. But I want to assure you that this move was not done to dictate or to interfere in the EP agenda. The Commission wants to make sure as a whole that what are we doing is in line with the key principle of EU law making, which is to deliver on the objectives of having better and fewer rules and enjoy a strong public support.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), Sofia RIBEIRO (EPP, PT), I believe that the future programme will be more attractive to  the member states , it will use the principle of co financing and give preference to local, regional products. There  a strong educational element providing a positive incentive to young people to adopt healthy eating habits , avoiding obesity, and helping to promote local farms products. It helps show that fruits don't grow in supermarkets, but they are grown by farmers.  

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Paolo DE CASTRO (S&amp;D, 00), This is the first step  which means in the future the educational aspects of our work will be stepped up more and more, so is to ensure that this programme will become a broad based cut and educational programme which will enable young people to live healthy and better know traditional products produced in our fields.

SOUNDBITE (English), James NICHOLSON (ECR, UK), I also believe school children should be better educated by the supply chain. That proof just does not come at a supermarket shelve. I think this is very important that there aware of the food chain.

SOUNDBITE (English), Matt CARTHY (GUE/NGL, IE), Funds should be allocated on the proportion of the number of children based on each countries, and should be targeted at promoting local products. The promotion of fresh products, and especially the consumption of fresh milk which is in the decline should be prioritised.