Zinaida Zlatanova, Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria, in an interview with FOCUS Radio


Host: A research carried out among pupils aged between 6 and 19 in Bulgaria in 2010 and 2011 reveals that more than 30% of children in Bulgaria are overweight. Pastry is a main course for very third child. This is data from the latest national research on the occasion of the European Day of Healthy Food and Cooking. The initiative takes place in Bulgaria for the fifth year in a row. Ms. Zlatanova, how would you assess the initiatives in Bulgaria which mark the European Day of Healthy Food and Cooking with Children?
Zinaida Zlatanova: For the fifth year in a row Bulgaria joins the European Day of Healthy Food and Cooking with Children, an initiative the European Commission supports. Today we organize the holiday, as in the past five years, with the European Association of Chefs, who join the European cause every year. Today’s culinary show features about 500 children from schools in Sofia. Together with chefs they cook healthy and wholesome food. We want to show in an entertaining way how important a healthy diet is. Several television hosts have agreed to be our partners. As usual the municipality of Sofia is our partner. So are the Ministry of Sports and Ministry of Education, Youth and Science. Every year our partners become more and more. We are especially grateful to the state bodies, which take the issue to heart and work very actively to deal with the situation.

Host: We started the conversation with worrying statistics. Is the obesity issue growing global?
Zinaida Zlatanova: There is, of course, European statistics on this issue. As in other issues, Bulgaria is somewhere in the middle – it is neither worse, not better. But, yes, this is a common European problem – struggle against unhealthy diet, obesity, lack of physical activity among children is a problem for every member state. That’s why the EC supports this European Day of Healthy Food and Cooking with Children so that children could get into the habit of taking care of their health. That’s why two instruments targeting children have been set up under the Common Agricultural Policy. These are School Milk and School Fruit, the programs that have been operating in Bulgaria since last school year through Bulgaria’s payment agency – Agriculture Fund.

Host: How do children take the initiatives you organize?
Zinaida Zlatanova: They are very funny and attractive to children. This is an interesting day for them. We try to entertain them with sports games and present them the information they should learn and understand in an interesting and attractive way. As I have already said, what is most important to me is that the number of our partners has been growing throughout these five years. It is significant to see how the state bodies show great understanding and work jointly in the area. Physical activity and a balanced diet are two inseparable parts of a healthy nation. And we are happy that the number of our partners is growing and they are more motivated.

Host: What would you wish to the children who join the initiative?
Zinaida Zlatanova: I wish them much fun. They are our young Europeans. I hope they will learn everything they want to learn and understand today.

Host: Are there initiatives proposed by children?
Zinaida Zlatanova: Not by children. There are many initiatives coming from parents and organizations of parents and the municipality of Sofia and Ministry of Education and Science take them into account. I would like to reiterate, parents also become more active and we are happy with this. This is the goal of this day indeed – to trigger a debate and foster interest so that everyone tries to learn something.
Rositsa ANGELOVA