The EU will allocate a total of 150 million euros to 25 member states for the fruit in schools program in the school year 2015-16. The program was begun in 2009 to reverse the declining trend in fruit and vegetable consumption and apparently should be giving school students a fruit and veggie per day at school. In Greece so far most parents, if lucky, receive a small shoe box with fruit per child per annum which may be cause of wonder as to where the money is going.

For the next school year, Greece will receive almost 3.14 million euros; a co-financing rate of around 81%. The largest sums will go to Germany (28 million Euro) and Italy (27 million), with a co-financing rate of 75% and 80%, respectively. 

The program is targeted at 12 million children. The EU funding will be complemented by national and private co-financing, worth around 32 million euros. Since 2009, when it was first implemented, the program has aimed to reverse the declining trend in fruit and vegetable consumption, especially amongst children.

Since 2014, the program also includes accompanying educational measures to explain the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables. As in previous years, 25 Member States have decided to implement the programme, although Sweden, Finland and the United Kingdom have decided not to take part from August 1 this year.