Community aid for supplying milk and certain milk products to pupils in educational establishments
The European Union and the School Milk Scheme:
The European Union (EU) has acknowledged that providing milk to children and adolescents is truly of great benefit towards a healthy living. In order to promote the consumption of milk by children and adolescents, the EU has identified schools as being windows which clearly manifest the benefits obtained from drinking milk whilst, at the same time, also making the products readily available to the same children.
Through Commission Regulation (EC) No 2707/2000 of 11 December 2000, which lays down rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 as regards Community aid for supplying milk and certain milk products to pupils in educational establishments, the EU is providing aid to schools to be able to purchase milk for their students. The principal general objective, as well as the final outcome of the school milk measure is to help expand the market for milk products.
The more specific objectives being:
to maintain or increase the consumption of milk products by school children;
to encourage the habit of consuming milk products, which will hopefully lead to the continuation of consumption of such products even after children leave school;
to ensure that milk products are available in schools and distributed for consumption by pupils;
to improve the image of and knowledge about milk products by providing information on their nutritional and other properties.
Milk and its value:
Nowadays, children and adolescents are exposed to the fast lifestyle which today’s world is offering. Statistics prove that, due to such lifestyles, the numbers of obese children and adolescents have increased in recent years. Authorities are acting on this situation by promoting and encouraging healthy nutrition during childhood. Such promotion will lead to having a positive effect through laying the building blocks for a healthy adulthood. One of the ingredients, which form part of a healthy nutritional plan, is the consumption of milk and milk products. Providing such products to children and adolescents is one way by which the consumption of such products is further promoted.
This measure covers school children in nurseries, primary and secondary schools, including state, church, and private schools.
Parties involved:
The Paying Agency within the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs is the entity responsible for authorising the payment of aid as well as for the execution of payments. The Education Operations Directorate within the Ministry for Education, Youth and Employment acts as a delegate service to the Paying Agency, whilst the participating schools (primary/secondary; state, church or private) have the responsibility of making the claims on behalf of the students.
Implementation in Malta:
Malta has welcomed this scheme since it will provide help in forming a better sense of nutrition as well as improving the availability of milk to children and adolescents. Malta has introduced this scheme for the first time during the scholastic year 2007-2008. The main responsible entity, the Paying Agency, has implemented this scheme with the help of the Education Operations Directorate, which has informed all the parties concerned about the availability of the scheme and the way in which it may be implemented.
First Semester of Implementation:
During the first school semester (October, November & December 2007), through such promotion, the total number of successful applications received by schools totalled 49 Primary State Schools, which opted to join the scheme. These applications resulted in the distribution of 46,533.34 kg of milk to a total of 13,464 pupils. The total aid granted from the EU for the first semester was of €7491.87. These figures were looked upon as being positive considering that it was only the first time the scheme was launched.
The Paying Agency is also expecting that these figures increase during the second semester and throughout the following scholastic years.
For further information on the implementation of this scheme and for Schools (Nurseries, Primary and Secondary) wishing to apply for this scheme, please do not hesitate to contact the Paying agency or the Education Operations Directorate.