Joint Declaration by the Council and the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council of 5 May 2003 — on "the social value of sport for young people"
Date: 2003-05-05
Institutions: Council of the European Union, Representatives of the Governments of the Member States
Subjects: social behaviour, social impact, sport, young person

7.6.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 134/5

JOINT DECLARATION BY THE COUNCIL AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL

of 5 May 2003

on ‘the social value of sport for young people’

(2003/C 134/03)

COUNCIL

THE
THE
GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES MEETING WITHIN THE
COUNCIL:

REPRESENTATIVES OF

AND

THE

1. STRESSING the social and health significance of sport for
young people, both male and female, and its role in
forging identity and bringing people together as affirmed
in the declaration on the social
sport
annexed to the Treaty of Amsterdam;

importance of

social

sport and its

the Declaration on the specific charac-
2. RECALLING that
function in Europe,
teristics of
annexed to the Presidency conclusions of
the Nice
European Council meeting (7, 8 and 9 December 2000),
requests
‘the Community institutions and the Member
States to continue examining their policies, in compliance
with the Treaty and in accordance with their respective
powers, in the light of these general principles’;

3. RECALLING the Resolution of

the
Ministers for Youth meeting within the Council of 17
December 1999 on the non-formal education dimension
of sporting activities in the European Community Youth
Programmes (1);

the Council and of

4. STRESSING also that the development of physical, intellectual
and social powers through physical education and sport
should be encouraged for everyone, both within the
educational system and in other aspects of social life;

5. RECOGNISING that focusing on the economic dimension of
sport in Europe risks weakening its educational, social and
health function for young people;

6. NOTING with satisfaction that

the year 2003 has been

declared ‘European year of people with disabilities’,

STRESSING the importance of
European Year of Education through Sport 2004,

the decision establishing the

1. EMPHASISE the need to disseminate the values of sport:
and

and mental well-being,

promotion of physical
improvement of quality of life;

self-discipline,

3. HIGHLIGHT the importance of promoting the values and
virtues of
self-esteem and hard effort
fostered by sport, thus helping young people to identify
their skills and limitations and to overcome the difficulties
they may face in their everyday life, and as a result
permitting them to achieve their objectives and to gain
their autonomy;

4. POINT OUT that through the values of solidarity, respect
for others, participation and fair play, sport contributes to
fosters their partici-
the socialisation of young people,
pation in public life, and promotes democratic values
and citizenship among the young;

5. STRESS the role which can be played by sport for social
cohesion, especially among disadvantaged young people;

6. STRESS that by promoting tolerance, acceptance and
respect for diversity towards other young athletes, sport
may make an important contribution to intercultural
xenophobia,
racism,
combating
understanding,
sexism and other forms of discrimination;

and

7. STRESS moreover the need to ensure that these values are
involved in sports and that measures
respected by all
aimed at young people in favour of fair play and against
threats to their health,
in particular doping, as well as
violence in sport, should be encouraged;

8. UNDERLINE that sport can improve the quality of life and
foster the independence of young people with disabilities.
It can help them overcome social prejudices, and STRESS
the need to remove barriers that prevent young people
with disabilities from having access to sporting activities;

it

9. CONSIDER that

is essential

to safeguard the specific
characteristics of sport and to promote its ethical values
and Olympic ideals, and thereby avoid possible risks
through
economic
development
excessive
dimension of sport;

the

of

2. STRESS that it is possible to make the educational systems
more
an educational
instrument to improve the involvement of young people
both in formal education and non-formal learning;

attractive by using

sport

as

10. CONSIDER also that voluntary activities in sport should be
fostered, with the participation and active contribution of
all bodies concerned, especially of the volunteer youth
sports associations and organisations.

(1) OJ C 8, 12.1.2000.