[pic] | COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES |

Brussels, 22.12.2005

SEC(2005) 1741

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Annex to the COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS The EU action in the field of Education through Sport: building on EYES 2004 achievements

Report on the implementation, results and global evaluation of the European Year of Education through Sport 2004 (pursuant to Article 12 of Decision 291/2003/EC) {COM(2005)680 final}

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT

Report on the implementation, results and global evaluation of the European Year of Education through Sport 2004 (pursuant to Article 12 of Decision 291/2003/EC)

Introduction 4

1. Implementation of the Year 5

1.1. Collaboration with the participating States 5

1.1.1. The geographical openness 5

1.1.2. The advisory committee 5

1.1.3. The national coordination bodies (NCBs) 6

1.2. The information and communication campaign 6

1.2.1. Invitation to tender DG EAC/69/02 6

1.2.2. The logo and the slogan 6

1.2.3. Media strategy and teaching materials 7

1.2.4. Presence during major sporting events 7

1.2.5. Promotional material and sponsorship 8

1.2.6. The opening and closing ceremonies for the Year 8

1.2.7. The two Eurobarometer surveys 9

1.3. Support for projects 9

1.3.1. Call for proposals DG EAC 04/03 9

1.3.2. The selection of the projects 10

1.3.3. Projects outside the call for proposals 10

1.3.4. Moral support 11

1.3.5. Administrative expenditure 11

2. The results of EYES 2004 12

2.1. Education through sport on the national policy agendas 12

2.1.1. Mobilisation of the national institutions 12

2.1.2. A significant leverage effect 12

2.2. Greater awareness of the social and educational values of sport 13

2.2.1. Effective communication tools 13

2.2.2. Media presence from 1 January to 31 December 2004 13

2.2.3. Encouraging Eurobarometer surveys 14

2.3. Mobilisation of civil society 14

2.3.1. The quantitative success of call for proposals DG EAC 04/03 15

2.3.2. Many innovative projects leading to the achievement of the Year’s objectives 15

2.3.3. A profusion of partnerships 16

Conclusion: Overall evaluation of the Year and subsequent developments 18

Annex n°1 : Breakdown and commitments in the budget of the EYES for 2003 and 2004 20

INTRODUCTION

The idea of a European Year dedicated to sport and, in particular, its educational and social values was conceived by the European Parliament in 1997 under the impulse of the Pack report on the role of the European Union in the field of sport[1]. Despite the absence of an explicit and specific legal basis, Parliament, in its resolution based on the report, called for the organisation of a European Year on the subject of sport, taking into account its importance in terms of regular practice and its health and non-formal education benefits[2].

The Council also, on several occasions, expressed its desire to promote the educational and social values of sport. A resolution of the Youth Council of 17 December 1999[3] included an invitation to the Commission to design, in cooperation with the Member States, a consistent approach to exploit the potential of sporting activities in informal education. The Nice European Council also called on the EU institutions to take the educational values of sport into account in the various provisions of the treaty.

This consensus among the European institutions, the support of civil society and in particular the sporting movement led to the year 2004 being designated the European Year of Education through Sport (EYES)[4].

Besides showing that the Union is not concerned only with the professional and commercial dimension of sport, the EYES had two general objectives. Firstly, it aimed to bridge the widening gap between the worlds of education and sport and bring about a rapprochement, via operational partners in the projects, between those operating in these two worlds. Secondly, the idea was to spread the message that sport is an effective education tool and means of social integration, especially among young people, the priority target group of the Year. In the Decision, these two general objectives were broken down into seven specific objectives, and an initial budget of 11.5 million euro was earmarked (of which 3.5 million euro available in 2003).

Pursuant to Article 12 of the Decision, the aim of this report is to present the implementation, results and global assessment of the Year. It is based on the results of the independent ex-post evaluation[5], on the evaluation reports of the national coordinating bodies (where relevant), the final report of the company responsible for the information and communication campaign on the Year[6], and the final reports of the 200 or so projects cofinanced. The first section describes the implementation of the Year. In the second part, the results are set out in detail. Finally, an overall assessment is made of the Year and the future prospects for education through sport.

1. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE YEAR

The Decision establishing the European Year of Education through Sport 2004 had seven objectives[7] : to make educational institutions and sports organisations aware of the need for cooperation; to take advantage of the values conveyed through sport; to promote awareness of the positive contribution that voluntary activities make to non-formal education; to promote the educational value of pupil mobility and exchanges particularly in a multicultural environment; to encourage the exchange of good practice concerning the role sport can play in education systems to promote the social inclusion of disadvantaged groups; to create a better balance between intellectual and physical activity in school life; to consider the problems relating to the education of young sportsmen and sportswomen taking part in competitive sports.

In order to achieve these objectives, the Commission, in accordance with the Decision establishing the EYES, undertook to work on three dimensions.

1.1. Collaboration with the participating States

According to the Decision “[…] Action in Member States is the main way in which public awareness of the educational value of sport can be raised […][8]”. Throughout the Year, the Commission closely involved the States in preparing, implementing, following up and evaluating its initiatives. This collaboration was one of the cornerstones of the EYES and the main thrust of the Commission’s action.

1.1.1. The geographical openness

This European Year was open geographically – in addition to the 15 Member States, which became 25 on 1 May 2004, the EFTA/EEA countries, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey also had the opportunity to take part under conditions laid down in their respective agreements. In the end, 28 countries took part, with a potential impact on more than 450 million people. Moreover, even though it did not take part officially, Romania developed a series of initiatives in line with the objectives of the Year in 2004.

1.1.2. The advisory committee

Pursuant to Articles 4 and 5 of the Decision establishing the EYES, the Commission was assisted by a committee throughout the Year. This committee comprised representatives of the participating States from the public authorities responsible for education and sport, in accordance with the Commission’s desire for balance. It was responsible for helping the Commission in the preparation, implementation and monitoring of measures taken at both national and Community levels. At the Commission’s invitation, the committee met four times in Brussels in 2003 and four times in 2004. At these meetings, it gave its opinion on, in particular, the distribution of the budget and the lists of projects selected for cofinancing.

1.1.3. The national coordination bodies (NCBs)

Moreover, the Commission, in line with Article 4.2 of the Decision establishing the EYES, asked each participating State to designate a national coordination body to help it with the selection of projects at local, regional and national levels, to organise the national opening ceremonies, which were cofinanced in each of the participating countries, as well as to play the role of information and communication relay at national level. The size and composition of the NCBs were left to the discretion of the States, but the Commission clearly stated its wish for them to represent a balance between the world of sport and that of education. As Annex 2 of the independent evaluation report showed, almost all the NCBs were created in or after 2003, and the subsequent two years of collaboration with the Commission have proved fruitful and very cordial, with 84% of respondents saying that they have had very good relations with the Commission. The NCBs played a key role in the implementation of the EYES, in particular with regard to the information and communication campaign.

1.2. The information and communication campaign

2004 was chosen deliberately as the European Year of Education through Sport. Major sporting events, such as the Olympic Games and European Football Championships, on European soil increased the media coverage and public awareness of sport and were an ideal opportunity to highlight its education and social values[9]. A European Year always includes an important communication dimension to disseminate its objectives and place them on the national and Community policy agendas. The information and communication campaign was therefore the second dimension of the Commission’s work and the second main budget item, after the cofinancing of projects.

1.2.1. Invitation to tender DG EAC/69/02

Pursuant to the decision establishing the Year[10], the Commission launched an invitation to tender for a public service contract for an information and communication campaign to the value of 1 800 000 euro. It comprised four activities[11]: selecting a logo and a slogan for the Year; designing a media strategy and producing teaching materials; the organisation of promotional events and the obtaining of sponsorship; design and production of promotional items. The contract was awarded to Media Consulta Deutschland GmbH[12]. The final report on the four activities shows clearly that the company fulfilled its side of the contract.

1.2.2. The logo and the slogan

In the summer of 2003, a competition among European design and graphic arts students was launched to design a logo. This initiative was a great success. A panel comprising professionals in communication, representatives of the worlds of sport and education and the Commission met on 24 September 2003 in Brussels and, almost unanimously, picked the project developed by a twenty-year-old student from Berlin[13].

With regard to the slogan, following proposals from the company responsible for the information and communication campaign, the Commission chose “Move your body, stretch your mind”[14], which associates well both dimensions of the Year: sport and education through the idea that physical exercise also aids intellectual health and makes people more open. The logo, the slogan and the Internet site[15] were officially presented by the Commissioner Viviane Reding at a press conference on 30 October 2003 in Brussels.

1.2.3. Media strategy and teaching materials

For the media strategy, an integrated approach, targeting adolescents and young adults was developed. It was done in close collaboration with the Commission and the participating States at two meetings of the advisory committee and in the organisation of an information day and the presentation of the campaign for the national coordination bodies on 30 June 2003. In order to increase the impact of the Year, the company brought in more than 60 sporting celebrities, some still competing whilst others had retired and successfully converted to other activities.

The company also produced and distributed, with the aid of the NCBs, various information supports. A total of 2 815 800 copies of a six-page brochure presenting in general terms the Year, its main objectives and the measures planned were printed. A more detailed magazine numbering 32 pages and including contributions from the main political leaders responsible for the Year and from university education through sport experts was produced with a run of 200 000 copies in eleven different languages. Finally, a 28-page brochure including four pages devoted to activities organised in each country by the NCBs was developed and produced in 200 000 copies.

1.2.4. Presence during major sporting events

The Commission and the company responsible for the information and communication campaign contacted the organisation committees of almost all the major European and international events associated with education and sport taking place in one of the participating countries in 2004. In order to include the Year in these events, they were provided with press releases and documentation packs. More specific operations took place during major educational, cultural and sporting events. The European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions all contributed actively to disseminating the objectives of the Year through various initiatives such as the day dedicated to the European Year at the Paralympic Games in Athens and a forum bringing together sporting initiatives from European cities and regions in order to disseminate examples of good practices in the field of education through sport.

1.2.5. Promotional material and sponsorship

The company responsible for the information and communication campaign developed a series of promotional items for various target groups. For example, 45 000 pens and note pads in the colours of the Year were produced and distributed to participants and journalists at conferences organised under the Year. For teenagers and young adults, 135 000 stickers, 45 000 key rings, 4 500 T-shirts, 4 500 caps, 9 000 head bands and 8 000 diaries in the colours of the Year were produced and distributed with the help of the national coordination bodies.

In order to ensure a multiplier effect for the information and communication campaign, partnerships with many sports federations (such as UEFA and the European Olympic committees), education institutions (such as the European Association of Teachers or the European Network of Sport Science, Education and Employment) and parties active in the audiovisual field (such as Eurosport or the European Broadcasting Union) were developed in agreement with the Commission,. These partnerships consisted mainly of publishing information on the Year and providing links to its Internet site. The company responsible for the information and communication campaign also obtained financial support from the company Visa, which enabled it to produce two spots to promote the Year and 250 000 copies of a 52-page manual in 7 languages giving a detailed programme of the Olympic Games and setting out the objectives of the Year[16].

1.2.6. The opening and closing ceremonies for the Year

In addition to the activities developed by the company responsible for the information and communication campaign and in accordance with the Decision[17], the Commission promoted the Year by cofinancing 28 opening ceremonies and a closing ceremony. To this end, two restricted calls for proposals were published, addressed to the NCBs – as the communication relays at national level, they were best placed to organise these ceremonies.

The first call for proposals was launched on 24 October 2003[18] for the NCBs of the 15 Member States with a total budget of 500 000 euro distributed, inter alia, according to the relative population of each country. The cofinancing rate was not allowed to exceed 50%, with the exception of Ireland which, as the State holding the Presidency of the Union, was allocated a maximum of 80%, to a limit of 200 000 euro, to organise the Community opening event, which was held in Dublin on 27 and 28 January 2004 in the presence of the Ministers for Education and Sport of the Troika and Viviane Reding. In the context of the opening ceremony, a televised show was broadcast on Eurosport. A total of 16 national ceremonies[19] and a Community opening ceremony were cofinanced, to the tune of 424 547 euro[20].

The second restricted call for proposals was published on 23 January 2004[21] for the NCBs of the EEA/EFTA countries and “new” Member States. A budget of 240 000 euro was awarded, divided up on the basis of, inter alia, the population of each country, with a maximum cofinancing rate of 50%. Eleven ceremonies were cofinanced, to a total amount of 198 210 euro[22].

In November 2004, cofinancing of 80%, to the amount of 200 000 euro, was awarded to the Dutch NCB, as the Netherlands, holding the Presidency of the Union, was responsible for organising the closing ceremony for the Year. It was held on 4 and 5 December 2004 in Papendal, in the presence of the Ministers for Education and Sport of the Troika and Mr Figel'. Several specific results of projects cofinanced during the Year were also presented on this occasion. Furthermore, a meeting between the European schools that had taken part in a competition to choose those demonstrating sports awareness was organised and was very successful.

1.2.7. The two Eurobarometer surveys

In the context of the information and communication campaign, the Commission ordered, on the basis of a framework contract, two Eurobarometer studies on the practice and perception of sport by European citizens. The first study had a budget of 140 182 euro and the second 186 126 euro. The first was conducted in the autumn of 2003 with a sample of 16 124 persons aged 15 years or older in 15 countries. The second was conducted in October 2004, with a sample of 24 300 persons aged 15 years or older in the 25 Member States. Although the second study covered a larger geographical area, the questionnaire was modified just a little, so that the responses could be compared and the impact of the Year could be measured, pursuant to the will expressed in the Decision establishing the Year[23]. The main trends found by the first survey were confirmed by the second.

1.3. Support for projects

It goes without saying that support for projects was the main activity in the context of the Year, as around 7 million euro was committed to it, more than half of the total budget for the Year. This support was the third dimension of the work.

1.3.1. Call for proposals DG EAC 04/03

A series of measures was laid down in the Decision establishing the Year, in order to achieve the objectives. In May 2003, the Commission therefore published a call for proposals to select projects corresponding to these measures so as to achieve the objectives of the Decision. This call for proposals had an initial budget of 6.5 million euro, divided into three envelopes: 500 000 euro for projects starting before 1 January 2004; 4 million euro for projects starting in the first half of 2004 and 2 million euro for projects starting in the second half of 2004. The aim was to support projects throughout the Year. On the basis of this budget, the Commission planned to cofinance, to a maximum of 50%, around 175 local, regional, national and international (between 2 and 7 different countries) projects and, to a maximum of 80%, around 10 Community-level projects (at least 8 different countries participating). The call was addressed mainly to the public authorities responsible for education and/or sport, education institutions and sports organisations. The idea of real partnership in the projects was crucial for selection.

1.3.2. The selection of the projects

As the Year was managed centrally, the Commission was responsible for selecting the projects. However, to ensure transparency and foster cooperation with participating countries, the NCBs and the advisory committee were also included in the selection process.

Accordingly, the local, regional, national and international projects, cofinanced to a maximum of 50%, were preselected by the NCBs. The Commission took the view that the NCBs were best placed to do this, thanks to their knowledge of the parties involved and the structures. The NCBs therefore passed on to the Commission all the applications received, evaluated using a guide and a grid detailing the criteria in the call for proposals, provided by the Commission. Upon receipt, the Commission carried out a second verification and selected the projects that had received the top marks, with due respect for the indicative budget allocations for each country which had, in advance, been presented and approved by the advisory committee.

The Commission itself took receipt of applications for Community-level projects, cofinanced to a maximum of 80%. It organised internal evaluation panels to select the best proposals, on the basis of the criteria in the call for proposals. These larger projects comprised partners from many different countries and often European-level organisations.

At the end of each of the three selection rounds, la Commission communicated, for information, the list of the projects selected to the advisory committee and then, following its agreement, communicated it to the European Parliament for approval. A total of 1643 applications were recorded and 161 projects selected, of which ten at Community level.

1.3.3. Projects outside the call for proposals

In accordance with the Decision establishing the EYES[24], the Commission also funded six projects outside the call for proposals, to a total of 1 189 700 euro. These projects, the beneficiaries of which were in a monopoly situation or were explicitly designated in the text of the Decision, were presented to the advisory committee, which approved them.

In this context, the Commission help to finance the European Sport Forum, organised by the Italian Presidency in November 2003, in order to present the aims of the Year to various actors in the sporting world. In 2003, it also cofinanced a symposium on the use of the Olympic values at school, run by the organising committee of the Athens Games. In May 2004, it supported the Council of Europe project to promote sport as an instrument of education to democracy. Finally, it gave young Europeans the opportunity to take part in sporting and educational meetings at Olympia for the lighting of the flame, it invited 28 young, high-level athletes with excellent school results to the Olympic Youth Camp in Athens during the Olympic Games, and it provided the opportunity to send young European volunteers to Portugal to help organise Euro 2004.

1.3.4. Moral support

Pursuant to paragraph C of the Annex to Decision 291/2003/EC, the Commission also offered its moral support, i.e. the use of its logo and other materials associated with the European Year of Education through Sport, to around fifty projects and initiatives likely to contribute to achieving one or more of the objectives of the European Year. Requests to use the logo were also received in 2005, proof of the year’s impact, and the Commission is currently looking at whether it can allow it.

1.3.5. Administrative expenditure

Pursuant to Article 10(3) of Decision 291/2003/EC, the Commission also provided for the performance of 25 in-situ audits, with a budget of 125 000 euro, to verify the proper use of its cofinancing. The ten Community projects (the largest in terms of the subsidy) and a representative sample of projects in terms of geographic spread and the period of the funding were selected for auditing. The conclusions of the external auditors will be used to adjust the final payments and will feed the Commission discussion on possible future financial activities in this sector.

In order to disseminate the results of the projects it supported and to create a network of actors in the area of education through sport[25], the Commission funded, to the tune of 77 410 euro, the creation of a CD-ROM describing the projects supported financially, including the details of the promoters and partners.

Finally, an evaluation seminar, bringing together the various institutional players in the EYES (managing unit, NCBs, advisory committee, companies responsible for communication and evaluation), was organised in March 2005 in Brussels with a budget of 131 881 euro. The Commission’s aim was to provide an opportunity to exchange views on the results and preliminary conclusions of the evaluation in order to facilitate the evaluation of the measures implemented and the results of the Year. The results are presented below.

2. THE RESULTS OF EYES 2004

Overall, the activities implemented by the Commission, in partnership with the participating countries, in the context of the information and communication campaign and in the support for projects, were successful.

2.1. Education through sport on the national policy agendas

One of the main issues at European level was the importance of consistency with national policies – the objectives of the European action had to be in line with those of other public activities interacting with it. According to the evaluation report, the Year was considered consistent by the NCBs, as 80% of them took the view that it was conducted in synergy with national and local education through sport policies[26]. In this context, the EYES mobilised the national institutions and had a significant leverage effect as regards support for the projects.

2.1.1. Mobilisation of the national institutions

Firstly, all the participating countries complied with the Commission’s request to set up national coordination bodies (NCBs) as soon as possible. A total of 21 NCBs were created before the end of 2003 (of which 11 during the first six months of that year)[27]. These NCBs brought together the public authorities responsible for education or sport and, in many cases, experts from academia or associations. At national institutional level, dialogue between the worlds of education and sport was therefore intensified. This trend was confirmed by the national representations within the advisory committee, where a balance existed between Ministries of Education and Ministries of Sport. This collaboration between Ministries was realised during the Year’s opening and closing events, where the responsible Education and Sports Ministers of the Troika adopted two joint declarations addressed to their counterparts in the Member States and the candidate countries.

The NCBs were also very effective in managing their work. Almost all of them responded to the restricted call for proposals addressed to them in the context of the opening ceremonies[28]. Overall, they played their role of project selectors perfectly, even though the enthusiasm created by the call for proposals led to a considerable workload in most of the countries.

2.1.2. A significant leverage effect

The Year managed to place the theme of education through sport onto national policy agendas - a significant leverage effect at the level of grants could be seen[29]. Several participating countries provided additional national funding to support projects that had not been selected by the Commission. According to the evaluation report, almost 7 million euro was made available by the various countries in addition to more than 7 million already provided for in the call for proposals. This 100% multiplier effect is one of the most encouraging results of the Year.

It is also interesting to note that 2005 was declared the United Nation’s International Year of Sport and Physical Education and that the social and educational values of sport will be highlighted in this context, too.

2.2. Greater awareness of the social and educational values of sport

With an initial budget of 1.8 millions euro, to which 220 000 euro was added following enlargement, the information and communication campaign was the second largest budget heading in the context of the Year. Whilst this amount was not enough to achieve a major impact in the 28 countries, the tools were effective, and the EYES, present throughout 2004, led to a greater awareness of these values.

2.2.1. Effective communication tools

According to the independent evaluation report, the members of the NCBs appreciated the intrinsic quality of the communication tools[30]. The printed documents, the web site, the logo and the slogan were evaluated as “good" or "very good" by almost all the NCBs. Whilst some translation and delivery problems were identified, the NCBs were, on the whole, positive about the communication dimension. However, the NCBs identified over-centralisation and an insufficient budget as weak points.

In terms of its citizen audience, the communication tools associated with the Year achieved encouraging results. The success of the competition to design a logo was a first indication of that. Civil society in general, and young people in particular, were aware of the initiative fairly early on and supported it. More than 15 000 people visited the web site created for the logo competition, and 583 formal applications were registered. The Commission’s decision to involve the target audience at a very early stage by letting them express themselves rather than having a choice imposed on them therefore paid off.

The main web site for the Year was also very successful, with 3 270 000 pages visited between 2003 and 2004. In the written press, the results were also good, as, during the period July 2003 to December 2004, almost 2000 press articles were counted on the theme of the Year in the participating countries[31].

2.2.2. Media presence from 1 January to 31 December 2004

One of the most satisfying aspects of the information and communication campaign was the presence of the EYES throughout 2004. In fact, from 1 January to 31 December, the Year was promoted at many different sporting, education and cultural events. For example, on 1 January 2004, ski jump competitors at Garmisch-Partenkirchen displayed the colours of the Year on their ski suits. At its New Year concert, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra played J. Strauss’s “ Eislauf ” Polka in honour of the Year, to symbolise the relation between music and sport. T-shirts and flags in the colours of the Year were used during the European handball championships in February 2004 in Slovenia, in particular during the award of prizes for fair play. In March 2004, on the occasion of two matches as part of the Six Nations Rugby Tournament at the Stade de France , the European anthem was played in honour of the Year. A prize to mark the Year was awarded during the second stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling competition on 10 May 2004. During the 2004 Brussels 20 km race, 150 runners wore T-shirts in the colours of the Year. On 22 June 2004, thousands of people attended the arrival of the Olympic Flame in Brussels, an occasion to recall the similarities between the Olympic values and the objectives of the Year. On the occasion of the Euro 2004 football championships in Portugal, the group “B3” presented to the media the official song of the Year, which emphasises the educational and social aspects of sport. In August 2004, in the context of the Athens Olympic Games, an event on the European Year was organised in the presence of Viviane Reding and was broadcast throughout Europe on MTV. The organising committee for the Paralympic Games in Athens decided to dedicate 20 September 2004 to the Year and organised a press conference in the presence of athletes and MEPs. Finally, the Year was awarded a special prize for its contribution to disseminating the educational and social values of sport on the occasion of the San Silvestre Vallecana race in Madrid, held on 31 December 2004.

2.2.3. Encouraging Eurobarometer surveys

Whilst it is difficult to measure the actual impact of the Year, the quality of the associated material and its regular presence in the media, combined with the many sports events in 2004, could explain the encouraging results of the Eurobarometer surveys.

For example, the number of people practising sport in Europe seems to have risen between the survey conducted at the end of 2003 and that of the end of 2004. In one year, the proportion of people practising sport regularly (at least once per week) rose from 35 to 38%.Moreover, following the European Year, European citizens consider sport to be a useful tool for the improvement of health (80%), that it facilitates the development of team spirit and respect for rules (50%) and, in particular, that it is an important way of integrating migrants (73%) and combating discrimination (65%). Although people consider that doping (72%) and commercialisation (55%) are negative aspects, almost 80% take the view that education institutions and sports organisations should work together in order to reinforce the position of sport at school and that, in this context, the European Union should play a greater role[32]. This request for more EU intervention was confirmed by the success of the project support activities.

2.3. Mobilisation of civil society

According to the ex-post evaluation report, 96% of the NCBs took the view that the Year met the expectations of organisations active in the fields of education and sport and that it was a relevant activity[33]. It must be noted that the quantitative success of the call for proposals confirms this view. Very many grant applications were submitted, allowing the selection of quality projects that contributed to achieving the objectives of the Year. Whilst the earmarked budget was almost exhausted, many other activities were conducted without any financial support from the Commission, and new partnerships were created which appear to have lasted. These results are very encouraging, and it is clear that new initiatives can be expected in this field.

2.3.1. The quantitative success of call for proposals DG EAC 04/03

The call for proposals, the main funding tool for the Year, was published in May 2003. It provided for three periods for the submission of projects, and its success grew throughout 2003 and 2004. For the first period (May to July 2003), a budget of 500 000 euro was available for projects starting before the end of 2003, and 78 applications were received. For the second period (before 1 October 2003), 4 million euro was available for projects starting in the first half of 2004, and 526 proposals were submitted. Finally, for the third period (before 1 March 2004), 2 million euro was available for projects starting during the second half of 2004, and 1039 projects were submitted. Following enlargement, which enabled the second and third periods to be opened up to the ten new Member States, the European Parliament allowed the budgets to be increased by around 500 000 euro. A total of 1643 formal requests for grants were registered.

The majority of these applications were made by educational bodies, sports organisations and public authorities operating at local and regional level in 28 countries that are not necessarily the traditional contacts of the Commission’s Sports Unit, which managed the Year. This is interesting, as it shows that many parties were familiarised with European action thanks to the Year. If we add to the formal submission of projects the hundreds of requests for information and dozens of requests for moral support, it can be considered that the Year helped to bring together Europe, its institutions and its civil society, particularly at local level.

2.3.2. Many innovative projects leading to the achievement of the Year’s objectives

With an initial budget of 6.5 million euro for the call for proposals, the Commission estimated that it could cofinance around 185 projects (including around ten Community ones). In the end, it cofinanced 161 projects, including ten Community ones, to a total budget of 6 525 447 euro. If we add to these results eight projects that were selected but ultimately were not cofinanced because the beneficiaries pulled out or because the Commission noted that the actual financial guarantees did not correspond to that which had been submitted, it can be considered that the results, in quantitative terms, were very close to the estimates.

In qualitative terms, the call for proposals stipulated that cofinanced projects had to be innovative and could in no case relate to regular or habitual events[34]. The Commission wanted to promote innovative projects involving new partnerships rather than sponsor existing events. In this regard, the company responsible for the evaluation stated that "the Year promoted new projects, in some cases really innovative ones, and did not support existing championships or events"[35].

Moreover, the cofinanced projects were conducted in the priority fields mentioned in the call for proposals[36] and contributed to achieving several of the aims of the Year, as established in the Decision[37]. All the projects supported, as they included a partnership, helped to develop the network of cooperation between education institutions, sports organisations and the public authorities. This development of cooperation networks, via projects cofinanced in 28 countries, reached an audience of children and young adults of both sexes estimated to be more than 3 million people[38]. Moreover, of the 167 projects cofinanced (including six outside the call for proposals), 60 focused on using the values conveyed through sport to develop non-formal education for young people (47 projects) and adults (13 projects). 37 projects to use sport as a way of including socially disadvantaged groups were developed (of which 12 projects focusing on the inclusion of disabled persons). 28 projects related to the better integration of sport at school (of which 6 dealt specifically with the education of young people involved in high-level sport). 21 projects promoted mobility and pupil exchanges through sport, 17 focused on the use of sport to promote health, and 4 projects looked at the positive contribution of volunteers in this field. This means that all the aims laid down in the Decision were touched upon by the cofinanced projects.

Whilst the budget earmarked for funding the projects was almost completely used up (the implementation rate reached 94%), no more than 10% of the proposals submitted could be funded, which led to a certain amount of frustration among organisations not chosen and the NCBs, which had preselected the projects. Fortunately, the impact of the Year was felt within the Commission, as other calls for proposals published within the Commission included its objectives and explicitly mentioned education through sport. This meant that organisations not supported as part of the EYES could still submit their applications in the context of calls for proposals associated with youth and education, combating discrimination and public health initiatives, thus allowing other potential sources of funding to be tapped and the theme of education through sport to be developed within the Commission itself.

2.3.3. A profusion of partnerships

The development of networks and cooperative partnerships can be considered the most beneficial result of the Year. Half of the partnerships created in the context of the call for proposals were new and allowed organisations developing in different environments to meet and work together[39].

Furthermore, whether they were chosen or not under the call for proposals, these partnerships appear to have lasted. No less than 95% of beneficiary organisations planned to continue the collaboration with their partners after the Year had ended[40] whilst 63% of organisations that were not awarded a grant still conducted projects which they developed with their partners and completed them satisfactorily[41]. It would therefore appear that the impact of the Year did not depend solely on the Commission’s financial support. This result is very encouraging, showing that the EU’s motivating role in this area is very important, even if it does not automatically lead to the provision of financial support.

The surveys carried out among beneficiary and non-beneficiary organisations show that more EU intervention would be welcomed. The wishes of the various players involved in the Year relate to formalising the network developed in 2004, disseminating the results of the projects and financial support for new initiatives[42].

These expectations, combined with the results of the Eurobarometer surveys, suggest that civil society in general is in favour of the new European developments in the area of education through sport.

3. CONCLUSION: OVERALL EVALUATION OF THE YEAR AND SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENTS

The Commission implemented many activities as part of the Year. It developed collaboration with the participating Member States, managed an information and communication campaign in 28 countries and funding for some 200 projects. By the end of the Year, education through sport had made headway on the national policy agendas, greater awareness of the social and educational values of sport had been achieved and civil society had mobilised in favour of the initiative, leading to the creation of many partnerships and collaborative ventures which are expected to last. Although small budgets and administrative red tape, due to a centralisation of activities, have been identified as weak points by the NCBs and the application organisations, the overall impression is positive.

This positive balance confirms the results of the ex-post external evaluation. To ensure objectivity and transparency, the Commission, in April 2003, launched an invitation to tender procedure for the realisation of an independent general evaluation of projects conducted as part of the Year. The company Euréval C3E was chosen, and started its work in June 2004. Its evaluation, focusing on the years 2003 (preparation) and 2004 (realisation), assessed the extent to which the goals of the Year were achieved and looked at how new initiatives could be continued or created after 2004. It is available at for reference at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/education_culture/evalreports/index_en.htm#sportHeader .

With regard to the implementation, the company took the view that the Year had mobilised many different parties and been very successful, in terms of cofinanced projects and communication activities. It considered that the Year was relevant, i.e. an appropriate response to the expectations of those involved in education and sport, and coherent, i.e. perfectly in tune with national policies in this area and with other Community policies.

Regarding the results of the Year and their effectiveness, the company took the view that the two main aims of the Year had been achieved, whilst the others had been achieved only to a limited extent. The main success of the Year was the creation of many innovative and lasting partnerships and networks. It also achieved its aims when it came to the recognition of the educational and social values of sport. However, it found that other desired effects of the EYES remained more limited, e.g. the promotion of sport as a vehicle for the social inclusion of disadvantaged groups, encouragement of a better balance between intellectual and physical activity during school life and the promotion of voluntary work and student mobility.

Moreover, according to the evaluators, the Year was relatively efficient, i.e. its effects were obtained at reasonable cost, even if the leverage effect could have been even greater. Whilst the company considered that the budget had been correctly divided up and used, the general budget and human resources available turned out to be insufficient. The independent evaluators considered that, with more resources and earlier planning, the impact could have been much greater.

Whilst the actual impact of the Year is difficult to measure because we are still too close in time to the activities and because 2004 was so rich in sporting events, it appears that the awareness of the European public was raised to the themes of education through sport and the need to better integrate sporting activity into formal and informal education. However, as seen above, Europe’s citizens are looking forward to new developments at European level. In this context, the evaluators issued three series of recommendations:

1. Build on the Year, in particular by disseminating and developing examples of good practices;

2. Develop the Commission’s work in the field of education through sport, in particular by promoting cooperation between the authorities responsible for education and those responsible for sport, in order to reinforce, for example, the position of sport in school;

3. Anticipate possible Community actions, by promoting a European network or supporting statistical surveys and projects.

These recommendations echo the wishes of the sporting movement expressed at the various meetings (and the declaration of the ministers of the Troika during the closing ceremony). Given the very positive impact of the Year and the strong demand from civil society, new Community activities promoting the educational and social values of sport and reinforcing its place in formal education could combine effectiveness in terms of results with a benefit in terms of image.

4. ANNEX N°1 : BREAKDOWN AND COMMITMENTS IN THE BUDGET OF THE EYES FOR 2003 AND 2004

2003 |

Strand or sub strand | Budget | Commitments | Difference | % Utilisation |

Operating appropriations | EUR-15 |

EYES 2004 information campaign | 1.800.000 | 1.799.730 | 270 | 100,0% |

Opening ceremony | 200.000 | 200.000 | 0 | 100,0% |

National opening ceremonies | 500.000 | 424.547 | 75.453 | 84,9% |

Eurobarometer | 150.000 | 140.182 | 9.818 | 93,5% |

Projects following call for proposals | 480.000 | 370.633 | 109.367 | 77,2% |

Grant for Presidency event | 220.000 | 220.000 | 0 | 100,0% |

Sport school project (org. Olympic Games committee) | 150.000 | 146.959 | 3.041 | 98,0% |

Total | 3.500.000 | 3.302.051 | 197.949 | 94,3% |

2004 |

Strand or sub strand | Budget EUR-28 (*) | Commitments | Difference | % Utilisation |

Operating appropriations |

Projects following call for proposals | 4.350.050 | 3.608.979 | 741.071 | 83,0% |

Projects following call for proposals | 2.175.025 | 2.545.835 | -370.810 | 117,0% |

Events new countries | 240.000 | 198.210 | 41.790 | 82,6% |

ISSF project | 280.000 | 279.866 | 134 | 100,0% |

Closing ceremony | 200.000 | 200.000 | 0 | 100,0% |

ATHOC project | 120.000 | 130.000 | -10.000 | 108,3% |

Voluntary work project | 260.000 | 227.258 | 32.742 | 87,4% |

Council of Europe project | 185.600 | 185.600 | 0 | 100,0% |

Eurobarometer | 200.000 | 186.126 | 13.874 | 93,1% |

Evaluation report | 200.000 | 180.026 | 19.974 | 90,0% |

EYES 2004 information campaign | 220.000 | 220.000 | 0 | 100,0% |

Total | 8.430.675 | 7.961.900 | 468.775 | 94,4% |

Total operating appropriations 2003-2004 | 11.930.675 | 11.263.951 | 666.724 | 94,4% |

Strand or sub strand | Budget | Commitments | Difference | % Utilisation |

Administrative appropriations |

Audits | 125.000 | 125.000 | 0 | 100% |

Evaluation seminar | 132.000 | 131.881 | 119 | 100% |

Production of a CD ROM | 107.665 | 77.410 | 30.255 | 72% |

Total administrative appropriations 2004 | 364.665 | 334.291 | 30.374 | 91,7% |

Total | 12.295.340 | 11.598.242 | 697.098 | 94,3% |

(*)EUR-15 Initial budget: 7.650.000(**)EUR-15 Initial budget: 350.000

[1] Initiative report A4-0197/1997, OJ C 200, 30.06.1997, p.252.

[2] See recitals A to I.

[3] OJ C 8, 12.01.2000, p.5.

[4] Decision 291/2003 EC, OJ L 43, 18.02.2003, pp. 1-5.

[5] Carried out by the company Euréval C3E selected following open procedure, public service contract No DG EAC/32/03, published in OJ S 75, 16.04.2003.

[6] Media Consulta Deutschland GmbH selected following open procedure, public service contract No DG EAC/69/02, published in OJ S 242, 13.12.2002.

[7] See Article 2 of Decision 291/2003/EC.

[8] See Recital 14 of Decision 291/2003/EC.

[9] See recital 13 of Decision 291/2003/EC.

[10] See points 2 and 4 of paragraph A of the Annex to Decision 291/2003 establishing the EYES.

[11] The information campaign budget was raised by 220 000 euro in 2004 following the award of an extra budget by the European Parliament to take account of EU enlargement and thus to extend the scope of the EYES.

[12] Contract award notice published in OJ S 119, 25.06.2003.

[13] Julia Kotulla won this competition, for which the prizes were 5 000 euro and a trip to the Olympic Games in Athens.

[14] “Bouge ton corps, muscle ta tête” in French.

[15] This site, translated into the twenty official languages of the EU [Translator’s note: plus Icelandic and Norwegian], is still accessible at www.eyes-2004.info

[16] All figures taken from the final report by Media Consulta GmbH son the information and communication campaign.

[17] See point 2 of paragraph A and point 1 of paragraph B of the Annex to Decision 291/2003/EC.

[18] Restricted call for proposals No DG EAC 63/03

[19] In Belgium, three ceremonies were organised, one for each Community. The budget allocation was divided up in accordance with an agreement between the Communities formalised at a meeting of the advisory committee.

[20] For more details on the opening ceremonies, see Annex 1 to the evaluation report by Euréval C3E, and for more information on the cofinancing, see table No 6, page 36 of the same report.

[21] Restricted call for proposals No DG EAC 90/03

[22] Liechtenstein wanted to incorporate the opening ceremony in its only cofinanced project, and the Maltese NCB did not submit the required grant application.

[23] See paragraph A, point 3 b) of the Annex to Decision 291/2003/EC.

[24] See Article 11 and point 1 c) of paragraph A of the Annex to Decision 291/2003/EC.

[25] This concern to disseminate good practices was expressed in point 3) of paragraph A of the Annex to Decision 291/2003/EC and was achieved thanks to a CD-ROM

[26] See point 3.2.2 of Euréval C3E’s report, p. 47 http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/education_culture/evalreports/index_en.htm#sportHeader

[27] See page 11 of Annex 2 of Euréval C3E’s report.

[28] Only the Maltese and Liechtenstein NCB’s did not respond to the restricted call for proposals, with Malta claiming that government changes made the organisation of an opening ceremony difficult, whilst Liechtenstein had already included an opening ceremony in a cofinanced project.

[29] See page 13 of Annex 2 of Euréval C3E’s report.

[30] See point 3.3.1 of Euréval C3E’s report, pp 56-57.

[31] Source: Media Consulta’s final report on the information and communication campaign.

[32] See the results of the second Eurobarometer survey, available at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_213_presentation.swf.

[33] See point 3.2.1 of Euréval C3E’s report, pp. 44 and 45

[34] See points 6.2 and 6.3 of call for proposals DG EAC 04/03.

[35] See point 3.3.1 of Euréval C3E’s report, pp. 51-52.

[36] See point 3 of call for proposals DG EAC 04/03.

[37] See point 2 of Decision 291/2003/EC.

[38] See point 3.3.1 of Euréval C3E’s report, p. 52.

[39] See point 3.3.1 of Euréval C3E’s report, pp. 52-53.

[40] See annexe of Euréval C3E’s report, p. 152.

[41] See annexe 4 of Euréval C3E’s report, p. 183.

[42] See Annexes 3 and 4 of Euréval C3E’s report, pp. 131-133 and pp. 177-178.