Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on 'Interaction between education of young people and sport - A proposal for Union-level actions to promote the positive effects of sport in Europe` (96/C 337/11)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

Having regard to its decision of 18 July 1995, in accordance with the fourth paragraph of Article 198c of the Treaty establishing the European Community to draw up an Opinion on 'Interaction between education of young people and sport` and to entrust Subcommission 7 with the preparation of that Opinion;

Having regard to the draft Opinion (CdR 247/95 fin) adopted by Subcommission 7 on 12 December 1995 (Rapporteurs: Mr Bellotti and Mr Efstathiadis);

Having regard to the decision of the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions of 17 January 1996 to refer the draft Opinion back to Subcommission 7;

Having regard to the draft Opinion (CdR 247/95 fin rev. 2) adopted by Subcommission 7 on 23 April 1996 (Rapporteurs: Mr Bellotti and Mr Efstathiadis);

Having regard to point 4.18 concerning sport in the resolution on the Intergovernmental Conference adopted by the European Parliament on 13 March 1996;

Having regard to the Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament of 31 July 1991 on the European Community and sport,

adopted the following Opinion unanimously at its 13th Plenary Session of 12 and 13 June 1996 (meeting of 13 June).

1. Introduction

1.1. Sport is a valuable part of Europe's cultural heritage. Many of the sports practised in Europe are peculiar to particular regions or countries and thus serve to accentuate Europe's cultural diversity. Sport is also true popular culture in the sense that more people participate in sport in its various forms than in any other leisure-time activity. Sport is at the very heart of a Europe of the regions and a citizens' Europe.

1.2. However, sport not only accentuates national and regional characteristics, it is also a force uniting Europeans. Every year sport, whether pursued at the highest competitive level or simply to keep fit, attracts large numbers of people to international events at which they get to know each other's customs and cultures and forge contacts with each other. Owing to its international character, sport can also make a very positive contribution to creating a European identity.

1.3. Many recent studies show that sport and physical exercise, and especially those forms pursued for health reasons, are of great economic significance from the point of view of both the individual and society. Furthermore, it improves prognosis and quality of life for people suffering from serious pathologies. Sport also creates many jobs, thus helping to strengthen the local economy. In addition, sport is a very important form of youth education (). In particular, the role played in youth education by sports clubs and organizations working on a voluntary basis should be stressed.

1.4. The Committee of the Regions wishes to point out that education and training provided in connection with sport can, in particular:

- contribute positively towards the individual development of young people and, especially through club activities, help to develop their social skills;

- bring together young people from different ethnic, social and economic backgrounds and thus reduce tensions between these groups;

- offer a common field of activity for young people of both sexes and thus develop equal opportunity for all;

- guide young people towards a healthy way of life and thus reduce health-care costs for society in the longer term;

- increase opportunities for those with disabilities;

- teach young people the importance of rules, values and cooperation and thus prepare them to take their place in and increase their attachment to society;

- offer young people a meaningful and constructive way to spend their free time and the opportunity to enjoy sport; and

- preserve the cultural heritage of Europe's localities and regions.

1.5. However, the Committee of the Regions recognizes that sometimes sport is also associated with the occurrence of undesirable phenomena which partly diminish its positive value. Examples of this are violence, lawlessness and hooliganism, which occur particularly in crowds at football matches. Another serious phenomenon is drugtaking, which, among those who participate in sport, has spread to a minor extent from top-level sport to recreational sport.

2. General comments on the undesirable effects of sport

2.1. At its best, sport can help young people to find purpose and direction for their lives. However, for some young people it is also an environment where a predisposition to anti-social behaviour comes to the fore. However, in most cases antisocial behaviour takes a fairly mild form and rarely leads to lawlessness. It is particularly important to remember that only a very small minority of top sportsmen, supporters and those who pursue sport as a pastime commit offences. Nevertheless, their acts affect a substantially larger number of people and frequently attract wide publicity.

2.2. The social and individual factors underlying sports-related offences are very complex. However, the following are examples of factors that can increase the tendency for competitors and spectators to commit offences:

- social deprivation, unemployment and social exclusion;

- strong sense of territory, which can be local, regional or national;

- peer group models and possible peer pressure;

- provocation from other people.

2.3. There are certain aspects which are inherent in sport and normally contribute towards a good and enjoyable performance but can lead to anti-social behaviour among competitors and spectators if their importance is exaggerated. These aspects include

as concerns particularly those participating in sport:

- a strong competitive instinct;

as concerns both those participating in sport and spectators:

- the importance of winning;

- aggression that finds vent in connection with sport;

as concerns particularly spectators:

- strong identification with one's own team or area;

- the use of alcohol.

2.4. Some sporting events offer groups with violent tendencies an environment that is conducive to criminal acts. Where organizers have responded by successfully increasing security arrangements in stadia and their immediate vicinity, outbreaks of violence have tended to occur a little further away from the stadia. Therefore it is clear that action to increase security is not enough. Educational measures aimed at reducing violent behaviour are also needed.

2.5. In the view of the Committee of the Regions, there is a particular need for youth education action that teaches young people, both those participating in sport and spectators, to discover the good aspects of sport. Since many of these measures call for cooperation extending across the borders of the Member States, they should be supported and coordinated by the European Union.

3. Specific comments: measures at the European level

3.1. The Committee of the Regions wishes to stress that the subsidiarity principle is of paramount importance in decision making on sports issues. It is essential that sports clubs and organizations should be able to operate independently within the framework of the laws in place. In addition, each Member State must be able to pursue an independent sports policy taking into account their national, regional and local characteristics.

3.2. However, since the positive effects of sport outlined at the beginning of this Opinion can contribute to the construction of the EU and the undesirable effects are supranational and concern the entire EU, the Committee of the Regions considers it appropriate to take action at Union level to strengthen its positive effects.

3.3. Steps have already been taken at the European level to promote the positive effects of sport and counter the undesirable effects. The Committee of the Regions notes with satisfaction the following examples:

- the EU's Eurathlon programme;

- the EU's programme supporting sport for people with disabilities;

- the European Sport Forum;

- the EU's Socrates and Leonardo programmes;

- the European Convention on spectator violence and misbehaviour at sports events and in particular at football matches;

- the Council of Europe's Fair Play campaign;

- the Council of Europe's Anti-doping Convention;

- the European Parliament's resolution of 19 August 1985 on the measures needed to combat vandalism and violence in sport;

- the European Parliament's resolution of 22 January 1988 on vandalism and violence in sport.

4. Conclusions

4.1. The Committee of the Regions proposes that Union-level actions to enhance the positive effects of sport should be strengthened within the framework of the laws already in place and supplemented in, for example, the following ways:

- by giving sport partial priority in the Youth Exchange programme;

- by launching a programme that would give sport a greater role in activities associated with the twinning of cities, municipalities and regions;

- by increasing the number of educational programmes that include measures for preventing undesirable behaviour occurring in connection with sport;

- by launching a programme aimed at encouraging reporting in the media of positive role models for sport;

- by launching programmes which pay particular attention to the sporting interests and requirements of girls and women;

- by increasing cooperation between the Member States on security arrangements at sports events and possibly introducing measures that would allow the temporary restriction of movement between Member States of individuals with convictions for violence at sports events;

- by calling upon local and regional authorities to focus attention on the educational effects of sport and ensure that the necessary preconditions exist for successful sports education, including links between schools and sports clubs and provisions for the very young;

- by developing sporting initiatives at a local and community level. Remote communities will be marginalized unless they are able to enjoy some of the facilities offered to urban areas. Therefore the EU should develop sporting initiatives to assist communities that find present sporting facilities inaccessible.

4.2. However, the Committee of the Regions believes that a more purposeful and clearly focused programme than that outlined above is needed for promoting the positive effects of sport in Europe and reducing its undesirable effects. It is essential that the EU's action in this area be carefully formulated so that it complements that of the Council of Europe and European sports organizations. However, the creation of such a programme will require more resources and a more clearly defined legal basis.

4.3. Accordingly, the Committee of the Regions proposes the designation of the earliest possible year as the Year of Sport and the drawing up of the Union-level programme that this calls for.

Done at Brussels, 13 June 1996.

The Chairman of the Committee of the Regions

Pasqual MARAGALL i MIRA

() The definition of the age group that is the subject of youth education varies between the Member States.