IP/09/1021

Brussels, 25 June 2009

Full steam ahead with the ‘Milk – Drink it up!’ campaign: European Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel announces the winners of the ‘Milk Power!’ photo competition.

Mariann Fischer Boel, the European Commissioner for agriculture and rural development is today announcing the three winners of the ‘Milk Power!’ competition during a visit to a school in Paris. This competition is part of the ‘Milk – Drink it up!’ European campaign, which aims to inform Europeans about the benefits of milk and dairy products as a healthy alternative to junk food and drinks.

‘These days, our diet affects not only our physical condition, but increasingly our psychological wellbeing too. The 22 million European young people who are overweight or obese can testify to this. The European Union has already allocated more than €55 million to fund the European School Milk Programme this year’, explains Commissioner Fischer Boel. ‘The photo competition is part of our drive to raise awareness about good nutrition among children and teenagers. I am thus delighted to see that many young people have demonstrated their creativity in showing us how much they love milk products.’

The photos chosen by internet surfers throughout the EU are being presented by the Commissioner during her visit to the Bakery and Pastry School of Paris. The ‘Milk Power!’ photo competition has inspired the creativity of European young people on the theme of milk and dairy products. 710 young photographers have competed for one of the attractive prices – a Wii Sport console – which will allow them to combine physical activity in a family setting with an interest in technology. The lucky winners are Benedek Horvath, Andrea Cremona and Teresa Videva .

This visit to Paris is part of the ‘Milk – Drink it up!’ campaign, during which the Agriculture Commissioner has taken part in recent months in many workshops alongside young people, making freshly prepared, well balanced dishes centred around dairy products, fruit and vegetables.

Obesity, a growing problem in Europe

Good nutrition is one of the main current concerns in relation to young people and obesity, particularly because of the worrying trend that, according to the various Member States, between 20% and 35% of European young people and teenagers are affected.

In order to combat this problem, the European Union has already allocated more than €55 million to the European School Milk Programme during the school year that is just ending, and €90 million more is planned for the next school year for the School Fruit Scheme.

The European measures provide financial and ped agogical support, with the aim of helping young children to quickly pick up healthy dietary habits and to take part in physical activities that can make a significant contribution to protecting them against health problems such as the risks of heart disease, diabetes and stroke later in life.

Further information on the European programmes

All the information on the European School Milk Scheme is available at

http://www.drinkitup.europa.eu/

To find out about the new School Fruit Scheme, visit

http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets/fruitveg/sfs/index_en.htm

For more detailed information on the European Commission’s nutrition policy, visit

http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/nutrition/nutrition_en.htm