WRITTEN QUESTION E-0188/01 by Toine Manders (ELDR) to the Commission. Young footballers and child labour.
Date: 2001-02-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: child labour, competition law, customs fraud, labour law, occupational status, passport, professional sport, sports body, trade intermediary

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/199

In view of the fact that the policies of the EU seek to promote decentralised cooperation between the
Member States:

1. Do the EU institutions recognise the legal basis of a network of twinned cities in the Mediterranean?

What preconditions and terms must it meet?

2. What scope exists for participation of the network in various EU programmes (City Twinning

Programme, MEDA, Euromed Heritage, etc.)?

Answer given by Ms Reding on behalf of the Commission

(27 March 2001)

The Commission recognises the existence of networks of twinned cities and particularly welcomes the fact
that they have been set up, because the objective of this type of measure, which is to bring European
citizens closer together and to promote mutual understanding between them,
is achieved far more
effectively through multilateral cooperation between local authorities.

However,
in order for the measures of these networks to be eligible for financial support from the
Commission, all the municipalities that take part must be twinned with each other and the application for
financial support must be submitted as laid down in the corresponding call for proposals.

The cities may,
in principle, take part in other Community programmes, subject to the conditions
governing each of the programmes concerned and provided that this does not lead to double funding of
the subsidised activity.

(2001/C 187 E/215)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0188/01

by Toine Manders (ELDR) to the Commission

(1 February 2001)

Subject: Young footballers and child labour

We have recently learned from the press that, calling on the services of football agents outside Europe who
may or may not be reliable, many famous European football clubs have secured long-term commitments
from large numbers of children, many of them very young, in return for unusually small payments. The
same article indicates that, among those thousands of young people, many each year come to Europe to
play football. In numerous instances they are suspected of coming with false European passports, whether
or not with the complicity of the clubs for whom they are to play (e.g. Leonardo for Feijenoord in
Rotterdam), because without such passports it would be difficult, if not impossible, for them to obtain
work permits. If these young children prove successful on the football field, they are given employment
contracts; if not, they are more or less abandoned to their fate.

I realise that national football federations have no way of doing anything about this, or are not empowered
to do so.

1.

Is the Commission aware of these practices?

Does the Commission agree that they contravene the European Convention on Human Rights and

2.
the ILO Convention?

3.
Does the Commission agree that they contravene European competition rules and the free movement
of workers, as rich clubs are evidently acting illegally or undesirably outside Europe in order to obtain
employees within the internal market who are by European standards extremely cheap, while clubs which
behave correctly are compelled to hire employees on the expensive European market?

Can the Commission do anything about these practices and if so, what? Will it take the measures

4.
available to it?

C 187 E/200

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(26 March 2001)

The Honourable Member has raised several sensitive issues which have featured in the European press in
recent months, i.e. the role and status of players(cid:146) agents, commercial transactions involving young players,
and false passports.

With regard to players(cid:146) agents, proceedings based on competition rules are currently pending before the
Commission. On this occasion, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) indicated that it
wished to modify the organisation of the profession and to make it more ethical. As a result of these
proceedings, FIFA rules on players(cid:146) agents have been amended as of 1 January 2001. Some Member States
have also chosen to introduce legislation placing greater restrictions on the activities of players(cid:146) agents.

The Commission has recently had the opportunity to indicate its concerns regarding commercial
transactions involving young players. It did so in the Helsinki Report on Sport (1) and in the European
Sports Forum held in Lille on 26 and 27 October 2000, which included a workshop on the protection of
young people.

With regard to false passports, the Commission is monitoring the situation carefully. However, it should be
noted that conditions governing the issue of passports, the recording of cases where false passports have
been issued and the application of sanctions for false passports fall within the jurisdiction of the Member
States.

the European Council expressed its (cid:145)concern about commercial

All the issues raised by the Honourable Member are currently under discussion. In its Nice Declaration
in December 2000 (2),
transactions
targeting minors in sport, including those from third countries, inasmuch as they do not comply with
existing labour legislation or endanger the health and welfare of young sportsmen and -women. It calls on
sporting organisations and the Member States to investigate and monitor such practices and, where
necessary, to consider appropriate measures(cid:146). With this in mind, Member States must also ensure that the
provisions of Council Directive 94/33/EC of 22 June 1994 on the protection of young people at work (3)
are observed.

(1) Report from the Commission to the European Council with a view to safeguarding current sports structures and
function of sport within the Community framework (cid:129) Helsinki Report on Sport (cid:129)

maintaining the social
COM(1999) 644 final.

(2) Presidency Conclusions (cid:129) Nice European Council (cid:129) 7, 8 and 9 December 2000 (cid:129) Annex IV: Declaration on the
specific characteristics of sport and its social function in Europe, of which account should be taken in implementing
common policies.
(3) OJ L 216, 20.8.1994.

(2001/C 187 E/216)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0198/01

by Neil MacCormick (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(29 January 2001)

Subject: Mine detection and clearing

In view of the urgent need to develop systems for clearing minefields in former war zones, what funds is
the Commission making available to assist with developing:

(a) methods for reliably detecting concealed mines,

(b) methods for reliably clearing minefields by destroying them without injury to personnel?