• The Government Decision was adopted for the approval of the Program for schools in the period 2023-2029 and the related budget for the school year 2023-2024.
It was adopted in the Government Meeting of August 03, 2023 decision by the Government for the approval of the Romanian School Program for the period 2023-2029 and for establishing the budget for its implementation in the 2023-2024 school year.
The purpose of the normative act is to establish the measures provided by the new European regulations, so that Romania's participation in the European Union's Program for Schools, for the financial year from August 1, 2023 - July 31, 2029, will continue, ensuring the distribution of fruit and/or fresh vegetables, natural drinking milk and/or dairy products without added milk powder, as well as bakery products for preschoolers and students, for the period August 1, 2023-July 31, 2029, including the 2023-2024 school year.
The total value of the program for the school year 2023-2024 is of 742.617.252 lei (150.038.842 euros), from which:
– financial aid from the European Union – 86.525.308 lei (17.481.626 euros), from which:
• 178.236 euros for fruits and vegetables;
• 303.390 euros for milk and milk products;
– national financial aid 656.091.944 lei (132.557.216 euros).
The total budget of 742.617.252 lei is used as follows:
- 94.782.996 lei for the free provision of fruits and vegetables and 37.612.300 lei for the implementation of related educational measures;
- 361.134.499 lei for the free provision of drinking milk and dairy products without added milk powder and 37.612.300 lei for carrying out related educational measures;
- 211.475.157 lei for the free provision of bakery products, exclusively from the state budget.
According to data centralized by the Ministry of Education, a number of 1.880.615 preschoolers and students will benefit from the products distributed through the Program, starting with the 2023-2024 school year.
The main regulations of the draft normative act aim at:
Cumulative achievement of the following measures:
- free provision of fresh fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products and bakery products for preschoolers and students, within the limit of a daily value/preschooler/student;
- financing the educational measures that accompany the distribution of fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products.
- The daily value limit/preschool/pupil which is:
a) 0,70 lei for the portion of fruits and vegetables;
b) 1,11 lei for the portion of drinking milk and dairy products without added milk powder;
c) 0,65 lei for the portion of bakery products. - Giving a preschooler/student, during the week, 2 portions of fruit and/or vegetables, 3 portions of milk, 2 portions of dairy products and 5 portions of bakery products, within the amounts allocated for these purposes.
The normative act also brings news
The new element for the 2023-2024 school year is the fact that during the week 3 portions of milk and 2 portions of dairy products are given for free, compared to previous school years when 2 portions of milk and a portion of a dairy product were distributed.
- Also, students with intolerance to gluten/lactose and/or to any other ingredient and/or compound and/or to any product distributed will be able to benefit from products appropriate to their situation.
- The educational measures that can be carried out during the school year and that accompany the distribution of fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products, such as: visiting fruit/vegetable farms, milk production farms, research stations, exhibitions, fairs, thematic competitions, tasting, gardening activities at the school level, the organization of thematic days dedicated to the consumption of fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products, the use of didactic/educational materials.
The objective of the Program for schools in Romania is to create healthy eating habits and to increase the consumption of local products among children, which is built around two components: the distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking milk and dairy products without additives of milk powder and the implementation of related educational measures.
Article source: MADR press release
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
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The Government Decision was adopted for the approval of the Program for schools of Romania in the period 2023-2029 and the related budget for the school year 2023-2024. This normative act ensures the implementation of the measures provided by the new European regulations in order to participate in the Program for Schools of the European Union, to 1.880.615 preschoolers and students in the country, who benefit from food products, as well as other educational measures that contribute to education and their nutritional awareness.