Mr President, during the two months I have been working on the report, I have discovered that feelings run high on the subject of school milk in Europe. There have been many responses from schools throughout the European Union and also from school children. I found that remarkable in itself. There has also been much discussion because the Commission says let us go over to joint financing, which means reducing the European contribution. Many schools reacted particularly to this point and I have also noticed among my supporters that people wondered whether things would turn out all right for school milk, whether it would keep going as an instrument? In that regard I must say that I was very fortunate as a new Member of Parliament that, in dealing with the budget for 2001, Parliament in any case adopted my proposal to increase the school milk budget from EUR 53 to 83 million. The proposal now before us in the report that was unanimously accepted in the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development – I would stress ‘unanimously’ – and it was particularly gratifying that all parties in the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development support the report – boils down to the fact that more money is needed, EUR 96 million in fact. That does not come entirely within the budget, but the reality is such that, in view of the change in the dairy market, this small difference could also perhaps be found in the dairy budget. It is also for this reason that I would urge Parliament most strongly to support the report on school milk, because there is every reason to do so. It is remarkable how casual we in Europe sometimes are about food. It is always there and in itself is no problem. But it is clear that school milk has an added value for the dietary pattern of children and contributes to a better diet, particularly in urban areas. This has been borne out by studies. The European Commission has also commissioned a study. I did find it to be rather limited, on the basis of a desk study, but in view of the considerable interest in Europe there is every reason to continue the regulation. There is extra money for education in the field of the Internet, the electronic superhighway and there is more attention paid to the environment and much attention to safe living and to social conditions and within this we should not neglect a sound policy on the proper use of food and undoubtedly on milk as well. For these reasons, and to see whether this regulation could be brought more up to date, I am pleased that the report has also been accepted in this sense in the Committee and I hope it will also be in Parliament. There is an expansion in the number of products that can be used in the school milk regulation. I am thinking of drinking yoghurt, low-fat cheese, skimmed milk and in this regard valuable amendments have been tabled by my own Group, and also by the Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party, among others by Mr Pesl for Scandinavia. Many specific proposals have been made and that means that in this way we can adapt the school milk regulation in a better way and integrate it better into the current dietary pattern. That in itself makes for a stronger case. Anyone who thinks that the school milk regulation will rescue the dietary pattern is wrong. You must also be realistic. If this report is accepted by this House, every year about EUR 12 will be spent per child on subsidies for school milk and that is peanuts in my view. This can easily be justified socially within the budget and in respect of a sound nutritional policy. Mr President, on the basis of the information provided I shall wholeheartedly recommend this report. I should like to thank the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development for their unanimous support, that bodes well for the vote in this House. I should also like to thank the Commission for its willingness to provide the necessary information and also for preparing the report. I hope it will lead to a constructive position with regard to the implementation of this report. I understand that in any case the Council of Ministers will meet next Monday. It would therefore be an appropriate moment if Parliament were to approve this report and the school milk regulation.

Political group: PPE-DE