WRITTEN QUESTION E-0122/04 by Toine Manders (ELDR) to the Commission. Debt and European professional football.
Date: 2004-01-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: State aid, company in difficulties, control of State aid, financial solvency, indebtedness, professional sport, sports body

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3.4.2004

merely a question of making rational use of the limited resources available. In particular, pages intended
more for a specialised audience and news pages that need to be available quickly are often published in
just a few languages. Such pages are published as quickly as possible in the languages available in order to
provide the target audience with the information on time.

(2004/C 84 E/0202)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0122/04

by Toine Manders (ELDR) to the Commission

(26 January 2004)

Subject: Debt and European professional football

It has emerged from an investigation carried out by the German football magazine ‘Kicker’ that the
European professional football industry is burdened with debts amounting to no less than EUR 7 billion.

According to their statistics, there are great differences between countries. Italian and Spanish professional
football organisations, for example, are in the red to the tune of about EUR 2 billion, whereas the total
debt of the highest division in the Netherlands was EUR 80 million in 2002. This shows the effectiveness
of the Dutch licensing system, which has been in force for years. The introduction of a licensing system for
professional football organisations in Europe under pressure from the European Commission is therefore
to be welcomed.

On the other hand, the astronomical level of debt of professional football clubs can play into the hands of
unauthorised State support practices, which often take place under pressure from local public opinion.

One possibility for dealing with the problems in the industry would be to set up an EU competition which
only football clubs from EU Member States could enter. Firstly, this would contribute to completing the
single market (cid:1) professional football could always be regarded as a service. Secondly, it would offer an
opportunity to apply the European legislation applicable in the football sector in a decisive and uniform
way. A single legal framework for the whole European professional football industry would, after all, give
greater legal certainty for all the parties concerned. The annual final of the EU competition could, for
example, be played in Brussels, so that the EU competition would also enhance the image of the EU.

1.

Is the Commission aware of the abovementioned indebtedness of European professional football?

Does the Commission agree that the resulting deterioration in the solvency of professional football

2.
organisations can encourage State support which violates EU law? If not, why not?

Is the Commission prepared to take steps to tackle these problems in European professional football?

3.
If so, what steps? If not, why not?

Is the Commission prepared to look at the possibility of setting up a European competition as

4.
outlined above? If not, why not?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(11 March 2004)

The Commission is aware of the fact that some professional football clubs are facing financial difficulties,
which, as stated by the Honourable Member, vary considerably from country to country.

It is possible that there may be increasing calls for public support for clubs in financial difficulty. However,
professional football clubs perform an economic activity and are therefore to be considered undertakings
in the meaning of Article 87(1) of the EC Treaty (although the question could be raised whether, and to
what extent, subsidies to football clubs affect trade between Member States, especially if the club concerned
is a local one which is unlikely to engage in competitions with clubs from other Member States). In as far

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as there is an effect on trade between Member States, football clubs are to be treated as any other
undertaking under the State aid rules There are well-established rules on the granting of State aid, e.g. the
guidelines on rescue and restructuring aid, that would apply. Member States need notify any aid to the
Commission before aid is granted. Any aid which would be found incompatible with the common market
would have to be reimbursed, with interest.

The Commission has actually recently opened a formal
intervention by the Italian Government vis-à-vis professional football clubs.

investigation procedure with regard to an

The Commission follows with interest the situation of professional football and will take action, where
necessary, in areas falling under its responsibility. There are different ways to try to address the issue of
financial difficulties that some football clubs are faced with. The national and international sport
organisations also have a particular responsibility in taking care that
football grows in a healthy
environment. The Commission is aware that the Union of the European Football Associations (UEFA), for
example, has plans to introduce clubs licensing system, in order to improve the accountability in this
sector.

The Commission does not envisage setting up a European football competition.

(2004/C 84 E/0203)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0128/04

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(26 January 2004)

Subject: Application of age limits to recruitment of workers already having fixed-term contracts over a

number of years in the public sector in Greece

Directive 2000/78/EC (1) prohibits discrimination in employment on grounds of age but allows different
treatment if it serves to promote employment or for other objective reasons relating to the nature of the
work. In the public sector in Greece, there are employees on contract who have been working for the
same employer in the same job for decades. These workers, who are comparatively old, cannot compete
for permanent posts or jobs for an indefinite period which are advertised by the employer for whom they
have worked for numerous years because they are over the age limit stipulated in the conditions of
employment.

A typical example is the case of a number of specialist doctors who had been working on contract for
more than 10 years with the Greek Public Power Corporation (DEI) and were excluded from the procedure
to recruit permanent staff specialising in the same disciplines because, at the time the posts were
advertised, they were over the stipulated age limit.

Is this practice of denying workers who have already had fixed-term contracts over a number of years the
opportunity of permanent employment with the same employer, on the pretext of there being an age
limit, consistent with Directive 2000/78/EC and Directive 1999/70/EC (2)?

(1) OJ L 303, 2.12.2000, p. 16.
(2) OJ L 175, 10.7.1999, p. 43.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(24 February 2004)

Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment
in employment and occupation puts in place a framework for equal treatment in employment and
occupation, and prohibits discrimination on grounds of age, disability, religion or belief or sexual
orientation. The Directive covers access to employment, pay, working conditions, dismissal, training etc,