Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the "Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Year of Education through Sport 2004"
Date: 2002-05-15
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: European symbol, education, sport

14.11.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 278/21

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Proposal for a Decision of the European
Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Year of Education through Sport 2004’

(2002/C 278/06)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

having regard to the Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing
the European Year of Education through Sport 2004 [COM(2001) 584 final — 2001/0244 (COD)];

having regard to the Decision of the Council of the European Union of 23 November 2001 to consult it
under the first paragraph of Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the European Community;

having regard to the Decision taken by its Bureau on 6 February 2002 to instruct Commission — Culture
and Education — to draw up an Opinion on this subject;

having regard to the Treaty of Amsterdam, Articles 13 and 149;

having regard to the Treaty of Amsterdam Declaration on Sport;

having regard to the European Model of Sport, Commission consultation document — November 1998;

having regard to the Helsinki report on Sport, December 1999;

having regard to the Nice European Council Declaration on the specific characteristics of sport and its
social function in Europe (Annexe IV), December 2000;

having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the European Model of Sport (CdR 37/
99 fin) (1);

having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on Equal opportunities for girls and boys
in leisure activities and especially in EU youth and sport programmes (CdR 182/97 fin) (2);

having regard to the 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 (CdR 222/96 fin) (3);

having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Memorandum on Lifelong Learning
(CdR 19/2001 fin) (4);

having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on a Community Support Plan to Combat
Doping in Sport (COM(1999) 643 final) (CdR 22/2000 fin) (5);

having regard to the Draft Opinion (CdR 388/2001 rev. 2) adopted by Commission — Culture and
Education — on 22 March 2002 [rapporteurs: Mr Udo Mientus, Chairman of the Lower Saxony State
Assembly’s Committee for Federal and European Affairs (D/PES) and Mrs Susie Kemp, Opposition Leader
of West Berkshire County Council (UK/EPP)],

adopted the following opinion at its 44th plenary session of 15 and 16 May 2002 (meeting of 15 May
2002).

(1) OJ C 374, 23.12.1999, p. 56.
(2) OJ C 64, 27.2.1998, p. 81.
(3) OJ C 337, 11.11.1996, p. 60.
(4) OJ C 357, 14.12.2001, p. 36.
(5) OJ C 317, 6.11.2000, p. 63.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

14.11.2002

1. The Committee of the Regions’ general comments on

the communication

1.1.
The Committee of the Regions supports the European
Commission initiative to designate 2004 the European Year of
Education through Sport (referred to as the ‘Year’) as long as
due regard is given to the principle of subsidiarity. 2004 will
provide a unique opportunity to focus on the educational and
social dimension of sport at a time when major media focus
will be on sport in Europe due to the Olympic games and the
EUR 2004 Football tournament.

2.2.
The Committee of the Regions is particularly keen to
see an emphasis given to the role of individuals and volunteers
that give their free time to others. This is of particular concern
in areas of high social deprivation where voluntary support
for clubs can be lacking in comparison with more affluent
communities. In recognition of sports contribution to edu-
cation and life-long learning, as well as the qualities of
leadership, citizenship and teamwork, the CoR would like to
see the Year focus on the most innovative approaches of
engaging people in these communities underlining the Year’s
core principle of social inclusion. Sport encourages integration
between people and also contributes to a sense of fair play and
improves the health and well-being of communities that local
and regional authorities serve.

The Committee of

1.2.
the Regions believes that the
involvement of local and regional authorities in the ‘European
Year’ is crucial to its success. In the spirit of subsidiarity, the
role of local and regional authorities should be respected
during the Year in recognition of their proximity to the
citizens.

1.3.
The CoR believes that in harnessing the potential of
local and regional authorities the European Commission will
maximise the impact of the Year, mobilise effectively all
the relevant actors (in this case educational and sporting
establishments) and the engagement of people of all ages in
the Year, especially the young.

1.4.
Local and regional authorities are in a unique position
to ensure that the widest-possible access to Community actions
is achieved, with a particular focus on disadvantaged groups.
The European Year of Education through Sport builds upon
the 2003 Year of Disabilities and allows for education and
sports policies for the disabled to be encouraged across the
European Union during the Olympic year. The specific points
of the Draft Opinion fall under two themes, the Aims of the
Year set out by the Commission and any subsequent delivery
of the projects and actions in which Local and Regional
authorities should be closely involved.

2. The aims of the Year

The CoR clearly recognises sport’s contribution to
2.3.
basic education skills but urges the European Commission to
extend its aims to encompass all age groups as Life-Long
Learning becomes more widely accepted. The role of Sport
contributes significantly to understanding, integration and well
being of people of all ages.

The CoR agrees with the European Commission that
2.4.
in 2004 provides a
the Year of education through sport
unique opportunity to flesh out and raise the profile of the
opportunities for greater sport/school cooperation. The CoR
would wish to see the European Commission draw up
priorities within the existing Education and Youth Community
programmes to complement the limited resources available
within the budget for the Year. The CoR is convinced that for
the Year to be successful and go beyond a series of merely
symbolic actions, other programme resources, including Soc-
rates, Leonardo Da Vinci, Youth for Europe, need to be
mobilised.
In a clear recognition for young people, these
programmes should specifically target support for the mobility
of young people and of school physical education teachers
to encourage trans-national competitions and promote best
practices about the role and delivery of sport in schools. The
promotion of local club/school partnerships should also be
reinforced during the Year within communities where these
contribute to the encouragement of young people’s partici-
pation in sport outside school hours. Sport should also be
recognised as having an important role as a means of
communication.

2.1.
The Committee of the Regions believes that 2004 is an
excellent opportunity to celebrate the unique value of sport to
European society. This special Year should complement the
focus on top-level sport, its competition and commercialisa-
tion by taking a broader view that focuses on all sports that
bring European citizens together.

The CoR believes that in order to reach young people
2.5.
effectively, all sports should be recognised during the Year and
not merely those mainstream sports with a high media and

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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television interest. Local and regional authorities are keen to
encourage all sports that play a significant role in education,
the development of young people’s skills and social inclusion
(i.e. minority sports).

2.6.
In the spirit of the Nice declaration on sport, the CoR
would like to see the role of sport taken into account across
various Community policies. Notwithstanding the legal base
for the Year, the CoR sees particular emphasis being given by
the European Commission to the role of the Structural Funds,
the European Employment and Social Inclusion Strategies and
other Community programmes such as Twinning.

2.7.
The CoR believes that during the Year local and
regional authorities should be closely involved in any European
Commission funded studies that seek to identify best practice
with the social
the disadvantaged groups
through sport
in education. The Year provides a unique
opportunity to showcase successful actions that have con-
tributed to the integration of disadvantaged groups building
on work that has already been undertaken in the Member
States.

integration of

2.8.
The CoR is keen to see that the Year makes a clear
economic case for the value of investing in sport in the long
term. The CoR is convinced that the European Union can
make a clear economic case for investing in sports facilities at
local and regional level that in the longer term will contribute
to a reduction in spending from governments on social services
and health care relating to an ageing sedentary society.

2.9.
The CoR believes that local and regional authorities
have a considerable interest in the protection of young people
in their schools and centres of excellence across the European
Union from the pressures of competition, commercialisation
and drug abuse. Local and regional authorities across the EU
already play a key role in drug awareness and need to ensure
that particular young people do not fall foul to the pressure of
doping in their sports.

Brussels, 15 May 2002.

3.

Implementation

The CoR welcomes the Commission proposal and
3.1.
expects the CoR and local and regional authorities will be
closely consulted on both management arrangements and the
delivery of the Year at national, regional and local level. To
this end the CoR would like to be represented in the
Community wide task force that is proposed.

3.2.
The CoR agrees with the European Commission that
partnerships are the key to the success of the Year. Member
States should be encouraged by the European Union to ensure
that the most appropriate delivery structures are established
that maximise the involvement of local and regional authorities
so that sports’ associations and forums, clubs, and the volun-
tary sector are engaged. The CoR believes that the Year must
give the opportunity for a broad exchange of experiences in
the field of sport and education. The CoR would like to see
examples of best practice at local and regional
level being
gathered, documented and published by the European Com-
mission during the Year.

3.3.
The CoR believes that the European Commission
should give greater emphasis to the importance of mobilising
all regional and local players for the purpose of executing the
Year. Many local and regional authorities participate in or host
sports’ forums that will be able to make a specific contribution
in ensuring the success of the Year across their regions.

3.4.
The CoR would urge the European Commission to
include a reference to local and regional authorities, via their
national associations or otherwise, in the national forum that
is to be established.

3.5.
The CoR would urge the European Commission and
the Member States to ensure that all actions financed during
the Year are inclusive and reach all social groups with particular
emphasis on the young, the disadvantaged and the disabled.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Albert BORE