WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2155/98 by Antoni GUTIÉRREZ DÍAZ to the Commission. Professional career of a football player
Date: 1998-07-13
Institutions: European Parliament, GUTIERREZ DIAZ
Subjects: Italy, Spain, competition, free movement of workers, professional career, professional sport, sports body, work contract

29.4.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 118/35

4.
The Member States are responsible for equipping their forest rangers. Nonetheless, the Spanish
authorities have informed the Commission that they intend to report on the status of the capercaillie at a
forthcoming meeting of the (cid:145)Ornis(cid:146) Committee (set up by the Directive and comprising representatives of
the Member States). They intend to ask that the capercaillie be considered a priority species for Life-
Nature funding.

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(1999/C 118/040)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2155/98

by Antoni GutiØrrez D(cid:237)az (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Professional career of a football player

(13 July 1998)

It has been reported in the Spanish media that the young football player, Ivan de la Peæa, who currently has
a contract with FC Barcelona, has been the subject of negotiations concerning his transfer to one of two
Italian clubs, Lazio and Inter Milan.

According to what has been divulged, it appears that, against the player(cid:146)s wishes, FC Barcelona is offering
significantly more favourable terms and conditions to Lazio than to Inter Milan.

1.
Does the Commission believe that a professional player can be regarded as a mere object to be traded
and that, if the offer made by one team is matched by another, he should be allowed, as a human being, to
exercise a preference?

Can it not be deduced from the general applicability of the Bosman judgment that the wishes of

2.
players in the management of their professional careers must be respected?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(2 October 1998)

The Commission cannot comment on the particulars of the proposed transfer of the player in question
from a Spanish club to an Italian club, since it does not know the details of the negotiations concerning this
transfer.

However, the Commission would draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to the fact that legislation
governing the employment contracts of professional sportspersons falls within the competence of the
Member States. European law, as interpreted by the Court of Justice (Bosman judgment) (1), recognises
only that professional sportspersons, like any other workers, have the right to exercise freedom of
movement. Consequently, the choice of a club and the conditions attaching to the transfer of a player,
insofar as they do not constitute an obstacle to freedom of movement, are a matter for national law and the
free will of the parties concerned.

(1) Case C-415/93 (1995) ECR I-4921.

(1999/C 118/041)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2156/98

by Heidi Hautala (V) to the Commission

(13 July 1998)

Subject: Payment arrangements for funding of EU projects

Many small national organizations have experienced cash flow problems as a result of the slow payment
of funds for EU projects. Even if the proportion borne out of the organizers(cid:146) own resources is, say 40 %,
the organization is forced to tie up considerably more of its own money for the period of the projects,
because the EU pays its aid in three tranches. The first tranche (30 %) is paid within 60 days from the
beginning of the project, the second (40 %) within 60 days from the approval of the interim report, and the