Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, as you know, sport in general, and football in particular, occupy a very special position in society, both in defining behaviour and in the collective imagination. The crowds which regularly travel to big matches, and big international matches, in particular – as well as the number of television viewers – is quite simply staggering. Professional football today is highly popular; it is a massive game, a massive spectacle and, it has to be said, a massive business. Too often, unfortunately, the big matches – and especially the big international matches – are also the stage on which unacceptable aggression, rioting and violence are acted out with scant regard for sporting principles or the respect due to persons and property. Furthermore, no Member State totally escapes the risk of disturbances, even if some international matches are more sensitive than others and the supporters of some clubs or national teams are seemingly easier to control than others. It is precisely in order to more effectively prevent and control the risk of disturbances during international competitions that the Kingdom of Belgium took the initiative to put forward a proposal for a Council decision on which we are due to vote tomorrow. Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the draft decision is based on three observations. First of all, the number of football matches taking place at international level is currently increasing rapidly, such as the various European competitions, the European Championship and other tournaments, which, owing to the increase in the number of travelling supporters, entails greater risk of disturbances, or even violence, during competitions. The second observation is, in order to prevent disturbances and to maintain law and order in connection with football matches is to have, first and foremost, it is essential to have an organised and efficient system for exchanging information regarding the risks that some matches present – and more specifically, certain types of supporters who travel to matches – and therefore, secondly, to improve coordination between the organisations responsible for security. In this respect, we must recognise that the current system of cooperation between police forces, based on non-binding agreements and ad hoc contacts fostered at each match, has demonstrated its weakness if not its inefficiency. It is also unreliable, slow and inconsistent. Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, the draft decision proposes that each Member State formally establishes or designates a police-run national football information centre to act as a single, central and direct point of contact between the authorities and the police force of the Member States responsible for ensuring security at international football matches or competition with an international dimension. Each national football information centre must therefore have the necessary resources and qualified staff. It goes without saying that the operational needs are not the same in Finland, Austria, France, Germany, the United Kingdom or the Netherlands. The various national information points that are established or designated must therefore function as information exchange networks providing data of a general nature – such as the number of supporters travelling, high-risk groups, the presence of hard core groups – and personal data, in other words, supporters posing risks to law and order and security. In adopting the proposed report, the Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs gave its approval to the broad guidelines of this proposal for a Council decision. It also approved 19 amendments, which all seek either to strengthen the operational nature of the network or, Mrs Buitenweg, to increase the protection of citizens when exchanging personal information. If it adopts the report, the House will demonstrate its will to combat hooliganism more effectively and, in doing so, it will help professional football to confirm its main purpose, which is to provide enthusiastic supporters with a high standard of play, thus preventing a handful of savages from turning stadiums and host cities into training camps for rioters or battle grounds for rival gangs. IN THE CHAIR: MRS CEDERSCHIÖLDVice-President

Political group: PPE-DE