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(2004/C 33 E/154)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1718/03

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 May 2003)

Subject:   Child protection in sport

Decision No 291/2003/EC (1) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 February 2003 established the European Year of Education through Sport 2004. This is a welcome initiative from the EU, giving the sports sector an important role in promoting education and health across the EU.

Sport is an extremely important social and educational tool for the millions of children who take part in sports activities across the EU every day. However, it is vital that children are given the proper protection and respect when taking part in all sports activities and events. The European Commission will be aware that a growing number of cases of sexual, physical and emotional abuse of children and young people are being reported in the sports sector. In the light of this, does the European Commission intend taking any action to help promote the protection of children and young people involved in sports?

Would the Commission support the establishment of minimum standards to ensure that the EU sports sector is in a position to act on reports of abuse in order to protect and safeguard the children and young people in its care?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(16 July 2003)

As the Honourable Member has pointed out, 2004 has been designated ‘European Year of Education through Sport’ in order to highlight the educational and social values of sport, as set out in the Helsinki Report (2) and the Nice Declaration (3).

The aim of the European Year of Education through Sport is to strengthen the partnerships between the worlds of education and sport and the public authorities, with a view to promoting education, health protection and retraining in other fields for young sportspeople. In addition, under the preparatory actions relating to sport, the Commission is going to finance studies under budget heading B3-1026 to analyse sport's impact on education and the role of sporting activities in establishing a balance in young people's lives. The results of all of these actions will be taken into account by the Commission in developing the new generation of education and youth programmes. Certain conclusions could also be taken into account with a view to giving sporting activities a greater role in other Community policies.

In response to the Honourable Member's second question, the Commission would like to express its concern regarding the issues raised. With regard to physical and emotional abuse, Council Directive 94/33/EC of 22 June 1994 on the protection of young people at work (4) addresses these issues. According to Article 5 of this Directive, Member States lay down the working conditions for children, for example in the case of sport. It is therefore up to Member States to make use of this Directive to intervene in the event of dangers concerning young people who are involved in professional sport.

Various initiatives have been taken at Community level to tackle the sexual abuse of children in general. The sexual exploitation of children is therefore prohibited according to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Furthermore, a political agreement was reached in the Council in October 2002 on a framework decision concerning the prevention of sexual exploitation and child pornography. The Community is also funding projects designed to tackle the sexual exploitation of children via its AGIS and Daphne programmes.

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(1)OJ L 43, 18.2.2003, p. 1.

(2)  Report from the Commission to the European Council with a view to safeguarding current sports structures and maintaining the social function of sport within the Community framework, COM (644/99), 1.12.1999.

(3)OJ C 80, 10.3.2001.

(4)OJ L 216, 20.8.1994.

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