Implemented for 10 years and co-financed by the Wallonia region and the European Union, the “Fruits and Vegetables” program for schools is about to end.
Schools are dropping the program, which was intended to allow children to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables once a week. More than half of the schools have decided to stop it: only 360 establishments will participate this year, compared to 795 in 2017-2018.
The administrative constraints are very heavy: each year, schools must fill in a substantial report and send it to the Wallonia region. They are also in charge of selecting the suppliers and paying them in advance. The schools then send the invoices to the regional administration for reimbursement.
“We are asked for proof that we have consulted with the suppliers, we must indicate which suppliers were contacted and provide a copy of all telephonic communications. As a consequence, many schools have stopped participating in the program because the administrative constraints are so heavy,” confided the director of the Biéreau school in Louvain-la-Neuve, Stéphane Vreux, on Bel RTL.
The Walloon Minister for Agriculture, René Collin, is committed to reducing these administrative procedures in 2019.
Source: www.rtl.be