Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the White paper on sport COM(2007) 391 final
Date: 2008-01-16
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: economic consequence, education, fight against crime, performance drugs, public health, social role, sport

C 151/36

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the White paper on sport

COM(2007) 391 final

(2008/C 151/12)

On 11 July 2007 the European Commission decided to consult the European Economic and Social
Committee, under Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the

White paper on sport

The Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, which was responsible for preparing the
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 19 December 2007. The rapporteur was Ms Koller.

At its 441st plenary session, held on 16 and 17 January 2008 (meeting of 16 January 2008), the European
Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 125 votes to 1 with 2 abstentions.

On 11 July 2007, the European Commission adopted a
White Paper on sport, containing the first comprehensive
analysis of the situation of European sport, together with a
discussion of the problems it faces and a specific action
plan.

1. Recommendations and proposals

The EESC recommends that Member States define Com-
1.1
munity priorities from among the activities described in general
terms by the White Paper and in the action plan it contains; this
should be done in accordance with the Lisbon Treaty, which will
hopefully enter into force in 2009, since Article 149 of the
Treaty primarily focuses on the role of sport in relation to
education and youth.

Europe's future depends on the health and productivity
1.2
of
its people. The EESC is deeply concerned that diseases
affecting the entire population caused by overweight and a
sedentary lifestyle have become a problem for young people
too.

The EESC recommends

1.3
that, when planning new
programmes to promote health-enhancing sport, both Com-
munity and multidisciplinary dimensions should be taken into
account. A joint approach by several departments at Com-
munity level could have a positive impact on the fragmented
measures implemented by governmental structures at national
level.

1.4
The EESC would draw attention to the importance of
implementing measures which are both necessary and consistent
with the subsidiarity principle. The EESC calls on the European
Commission to continue playing a strong role in coordinating
and inspiring the work needed in this field.

1.5
Compulsory physical education in both primary and
secondary schools should be increased to at least three hours a
week. The Committee recommends that tertiary education also

include opportunities to practise sport, and that physical educa-
tion classes be made a compulsory element of syllabuses.
Physical education in primary and secondary schools and as
part of third-level studies must — whether provided individually
or as a group — be accessible to all children and young people,
including those with disabilities. Moreover, attention should be
paid to the conditions under which school sport is carried out,
especially the shower and wash facilities; these are often off-
putting and do not provide young people with much incentive
to practise sport.

1.6
The social partners at all levels should be encouraged to
promote healthy lifestyles. Employers should be given incentives
for measures to improve employees' health, including exercise
programmes.

1.7 We suggest setting up a working group on the subject to
review the experiences of Member States and to explore
options, not least ways of including people with disabilities.

1.8
The EESC feels that it would be useful to launch informa-
tion campaigns on new opportunities to apply for funding,
given that up to now programmes have only offered limited
opportunities for sport. The EESC recommends that awareness-
raising initiatives form part of a comprehensive,
integrated
strategy. Information measures should not be aimed solely at
young people, but should be based on awareness of the fact that
sport can benefit all age groups, including people with disabil-
ities.

1.9
The EESC recommends that a separate envelope be estab-
lished within the Structural Funds, which could be used for
appropriate sport, leisure, community and multifunctional facil-
ities. It would point out, however, that local and regional autho-
large sports
rities often tend more towards the building of
stadiums, rather than the construction of sports facilities for the
general public. Structural funds resources should above all be
used for building precisely the latter type of facility.

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1.10
The EESC welcomes the proposal to re-establish the
Sports Forum, given its potential to serve as a valuable platform
for dialogue between all key stakeholders and to develop
concrete measures for securing improvements in the practice of
sport.

The EESC would be very happy to participate in the
1.11
Sports Forum as an observer, thus enabling the views of civil
society to have a direct impact.

2.4
Prior to publication of the White Paper there was no EU-
level strategy on sport, but sport was always covered in a
It was mentioned in the
variety of European policy areas.
followed by the 1999 Helsinki
Amsterdam Treaty of 1997,
Report on sport,
in which the European Commission
announced measures to strengthen its social and educational
role. All of these documents emphasise the social, societal and
educational value of sport.

The EESC recommends

the
1.12
working group on sports funding be extended to reviewing
sports-related national taxation and social security rules and to
compiling best practices.

the activities of

that

1.13
The EESC feels that there is a need to combat crime in
the areas surrounding venues for major national and interna-
tional sports events, particularly with regard to protecting
women and children.

1.14
In the EESC's view, the directors/executive directors of
sports organisations that benefit directly or indirectly from
that participate in competitions with
Community funding,
professional
teams and athletes and whose annual budget
exceeds EUR 5 million should, like public and political office-
holders, submit proof every year of the provenance of their
income and assets.

1.15
Social dialogue should be broadened to include gyms
and non-profit organisations as well as professional athletes, as
well as the following activities: sports teachers and coaches,
sports scientists, sports doctors, physiotherapists, masseurs, etc.
Professional groups which generate significant revenue from
sport as
trainers, managers, organisers, agents, promoters,
marketing specialists, etc., should also be included. Member
there is also
States should be encouraged to ensure that
national-level social dialogue in all fields of sport.

2. Background and objectives of the White Paper

Sport is linked to various aspects of society: education,
2.1
culture, economic activity and free competition, the free move-
ment of persons and goods, human rights and healthcare. Apart
from its economic significance, there are clearly many other
reasons why sport is of great importance for society.

2.5
In 2000 the Nice Declaration also dealt with sport, and
at the 2004 intergovernmental conference it was decided that
sport be included in the EU Treaty.

The European Parliament has

2.6
likewise adopted two
reports on sport-related subjects (1); in addition, an important
paper on European sport has been produced independently of
the Commission, by the
Independent European Sport
Review (2), the first part of which discusses European sport in
general, the second part analysing sport using European football
as a case study.

2.7
The Lisbon Treaty, which will hopefully be adopted in
2009, devotes a separate paragraph just to sport, and as a result
sport has finally become an area of EU responsibility.

The drafting of

2.8
the White Paper was preceded by a
lengthy process of consulting government bodies, NGOs and
organised civil society in Member States, Olympic committees
and decision-makers, as well as conferences and informal minis-
terial meetings, in parallel with an online consultation lasting
several months, which received 777 responses. Several meetings
were held by the various EU directorates-general to hammer out
agreement on the sport-related aspects of each policy area. The
White Paper sets out wide-ranging initiatives for both amateur
and competitive sports, while acknowledging that sport remains
a matter of national responsibility.

2.9
After analysing the findings of the consultations, it has
become clear that the key issues for sport are concentrated in
three main areas. They are as follows:

— the societal role of sport;

2.2
Over the past few decades, sports clubs have undergone
considerable changes: they have become less and less national
and amateur (voluntary) in character, while many now operate
in the form of companies, and are thus subject to Single Market
rules.

— the economic dimension of sport;

— organisational issues in sport.

The EU does not yet have direct legal jurisdiction over
2.3
sports issues. Legal effects on sport arise from secondary Euro-
pean legislation (e.g. case law) or direct application of primary
legislation which is applicable to sport as well.

(1) Pál Schmitt: The role of sport in education and Ivo Belet: The future of profes-

sional football in Europe.

(2) José Luis Arnaut, Independent European Sport Review: a wide-ranging
report drawn up under the British presidency of the EU in cooperation
with several countries, and which looked at the specificities of European
sport, real options for policy initiatives, and practical solutions.

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2.10
In addition to these areas, six other separate problems
have been identified, all of which are quite different from one
another:

— to establish a more secure legal base to enable better sport

governance in Europe.

— uncertainty due to the lack of an EU legal framework;

— issues connected with sports management, particularly
professional sports: illegal practices by players' agents who
provide under-age players with insufficient protection, as
well as doping, racism and violence in sport;

— challenges connected with financing sport in general and
conventional means of funding, and more specifically how
to fund sport at local level;

— a lack of data on the sports sector for politicians to base

their actions on;

— overweight, obesity, cardio-vascular diseases and arthritis are
affecting an increasing number of people, caused by a lack
of physical activity; and

— inadequate integration of sport into education.

these analyses,

As a result of

the Commission has
2.11
acknowledged that
the European Union needs to take the
specific characteristics of sport more into account and to
address the challenges identified. It has become apparent that
there is a need for existing and planned EU programmes and
measures to attach greater importance to sport, and decisions
will have to be taken on how EU funding can be used to
support sports-related projects. It has also emerged that closer
dialogue and political cooperation on sport are needed at EU
level.

3. Purpose and content of the White Paper

3.1
The White Paper states that ‘its overall objective is to give
strategic orientation on the role of sport in Europe, to encou-
rage debate on specific problems, to enhance the visibility of
sport in EU policy-making and to raise public awareness of the
needs and specificities of the sector. The initiative aims to illus-
trate important issues such as the application of EU law to
sport. It also seeks to set out further sports-related action at EU
level’ (3).

3.2
The White Paper comprises fifty three specific measures,
as well as a discussion of the positive role played by sport in
many areas of society. The list of planned measures, named the
‘Pierre de Coubertin’ Action Plan, is included as an appendix to
the White Paper. The plan has two basic objectives:

4. Comments

4.1
The EESC's detailed comments in the following para-
graphs are organised in line with the structure of the White
Paper.

The EESC fully concurs with the analysis of the impor-

4.2
tant and positive role which sport plays in society.

It

The EESC is pleased that the European Commission will
4.3
its
make health-enhancing physical activity a cornerstone of
sport-related activities, and therefore approves the guidelines on
physical activity, as well as the idea of setting up a health-enhan-
cing physical activity (HEPA) network.
is a scientifically
proven fact that a sedentary and inactive lifestyle increases the
occurrence of obesity and a number of chronic conditions. The
cost of treating such illnesses and of lost working time is a
heavy economic and budgetary burden; it is cheaper to spend
money on prevention in the form of physical activity. Devel-
oping age- and gender-specific sports facilities and promoting
is an effective means of
sports
preventing accidents and reducing the risk of dependence on
care. For this to happen there will also have to be a change of
mindset as a society.

for pensioners

facilities

4.4
The EESC agrees that cooperation across sectors is
important, and that existing Community programmes (research
and development, public health, youth, citizenship and lifelong
learning) should from now on take sport into account.

that

The EESC welcomes the fact

4.5
the White Paper
discusses the need to coordinate anti-doping measures, and
sees a need for Member States to coordinate their anti-doping
activities with those of existing international organisations,
particularly with a view to avoiding possible duplication so that
resources can be used more efficiently. At present, anti-doping
measures are inadequate, and young people are not being
deterred from using performance-enhancing drugs. The EESC
recommends carrying out a study into the legislative situation
in Member States together with a comparative analysis of legal
shortcomings and loopholes.

4.6
The EESC notes that registers set up to prevent doping
raise questions about personal data protection, as provided for
by Community legislation.

— to integrate sport into EU policies so that it can be used

more often as an EU policy tool; and

(3) Quotation from the introduction to the White Paper.

4.7
The EESC is pleased that the White Paper discusses the
possibility of supporting sport and physical activity through
existing Community programmes
covering education and
training (Comenius, Leonardo, Erasmus, Grundtvig, EQF and
ECVET).

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4.8
The EESC welcomes the study on training for young
sportsmen and women. It recommends that a study be under-
taken on sports clubs'
to talented young
sportsmen and women, the aim being that at the end of their
career, they are provided with vocational training and support
for their integration into the labour market.

responsibilities

The EESC points out

4.16
that cooperation between EU
Member States on preventing violence at sports events currently
takes place in the context of cooperation on home affairs in the
Police Cooperation Working Party (PCWP).

training systems for

The EESC stresses that

4.9
talented
young sportsmen and sportswomen should be open to all and
enable the free movement of
labour. However, the issue of
locally trained players requires careful analysis, given that clubs
play a key role in identifying and training young talent,
in
which they invest substantial resources, thus fulfilling socially
useful functions. Clubs must be encouraged to continue these
activities.

4.17
The EESC is pleased that the document acknowledges
the economic impact of sport and its potential for job creation,
but is disappointed that it does not discuss the possibility of
making existing EU funding available in future for sport, leisure,
community and multifunctional facilities which meet set criteria.

4.18
The EESC feels that it would be very helpful for deci-
sion-making purposes to put in place a system for standardised
statistics on sport at EU level.

4.10
The EESC notes with satisfaction that the White Paper
devotes considerable space to non-profit sports organisations,
voluntary activity and grassroots sport, given that much of
European sport is played out in this context.

4.19
The EESC would also point out that there are differ-
ences between national sports structures and statistical systems,
and that many of the economic benefits of sport are expressed
by indicators which cannot be readily measured (e.g. reducing
time on sick leave and expenditure on medicine, and enhancing
social cohesion).

4.11
At the same time, the EESC would point out that, due
to the fact that there is such a variety of traditions in this
domain, the situation of non-profit organisations differs from
country to country in terms of funding, economic activity and
support from central or local government. The EESC hopes that
the planned study on this subject will investigate these differ-
ences.

4.12
The EESC welcomes the recognition given to the fact
that EU measures and programmes could help make better use
of sport's potential as an instrument for social inclusion, with
a view to encouraging close cooperation between socially
excluded and disadvantaged social groups, and society as a
whole.

4.13
The White Paper discusses the issue of sport for people
with disabilities. The EESC is pleased to note that the docu-
ment discusses the provision of accessible facilities and of
training for staff and volunteers helping people with disabilities.

4.20
The EESC feels that Eurobarometer surveys are useful,
and also welcomes the planned study on the links between the
sports sector and the Lisbon process, as well as the exchange of
experience on major sports events.

4.21
Given the variety of European sports structures
referred to above, the EESC welcomes the idea of a study by the
Commission into funding for sport in the Member States and
the associated tax breaks or incentives.

4.22
In the EESC's view, the relationship between the speci-
ficities of sport and European legislation is a question of
crucial
importance, and there is a strong need to clarify this
point for sports organisations.

4.23
The EESC feels that work must continue towards a
more appropriate solution. In the long term, the application of
case law does not ensure sufficient legal certainty for sports
stakeholders.

4.14
The EESC is pleased to note that mention is made of
women participating more widely in sport and playing a more
active role, and of promoting equality between men and
women. The pursuit of sports by women can have a positive
impact on sport
thus conferring
for families and children,
considerably broader societal benefits.

The need to align the rules and interests of sports orga-
4.24
nisations with European legislation ties in with several other
issues: the planned impact assessment on players' agents, the
planned dialogue on licensing systems for clubs, and the joint
selling of broadcasting rights for sports events. The EESC
supports these proposals.

4.15
The EESC welcomes the idea of cooperating with
existing national and international organisations to prevent
violence at sports venues, and feels that it is vital to avoid
duplication of effort so that resources can be used more effi-
ciently.

4.25
The EESC agrees that there is a need to protect minors
engaging in sport and welcomes the activities set out in the
White Paper: monitoring the directive on the protection of
young people at work, commissioning a study on child labour
and informing Member States of existing legislation.

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4.26
The EESC fully supports all efforts to combat sport-
related crime (corruption, money laundering) and to draw
up European strategies on this subject.

4.27
The EESC agrees that there should be stable licensing
systems for professional clubs in the EU, ensuring transparency
of their operations.

The EESC feels that

4.28
to share
it
revenue from the media by means of solidarity mechanisms,
and thus to support amateur sport.

is very important

4.29
opinion,

Concerning the numerous activities referred to in this
and

EESC welcomes

dialogue

further

the

Brussels, 16 January 2008.

agreements, both between the Commission, the Member States
and NGOs, and also between European institutions.

The EESC is strongly in favour of setting up European-
4.30
level social dialogue committees (4) to ensure that such dialogue
strengthens the workings of the single European labour market
in sport. European-level social dialogue should include not only
employers (clubs) and employees (athletes, coaches, and support
staff), but also manufacturers of sports equipment and interna-
tional organisations active in various sports sectors.

Athletes' pension funds, advertising and image rights,
4.31
health at work, home-grown player
employment
contracts and assistance for athletes in finding new careers once
their sporting careers are over are possible subjects for European
social dialogue.

issues,

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS

(4) On the basis of Arts 138 and 139 EC Treaty.