Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

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| 15.6.2017 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 189/5 |

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Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on the European Union Work Plan for Sport

(1 July 2017-31 December 2020)

(2017/C 189/02)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES,

I.   INTRODUCTION

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|  | 1. | RECALL the competence assigned to the European Union, in particular by Article 6 and Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, according to which sport is an area where action at EU level should support, coordinate and supplement the actions of Member States. |

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|  | 2. | RECALL the Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on a European Union Work Plan for Sport for 2011-2014[(1)](#ntr1-C_2017189EN.01000501-E0001) and 2014-2017[(2)](#ntr2-C_2017189EN.01000501-E0002). |

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|  | 3. | WELCOME the Report from the Commission on the implementation and relevance of the European Union Work Plan for Sport 2014-2017[(3)](#ntr3-C_2017189EN.01000501-E0003). |

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|  | 4. | CONSIDER that sport can contribute to the overarching priorities of the EU’s security, economic and social policy agendas and in particular to the Europe 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. |

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|  | 5. | RECOGNISE that sport plays a positive role in the cross-sectoral cooperation at EU level and thereby helps to ensure sustainable development and to adequately tackle the overarching socioeconomic and security-related challenges facing the EU, including migration, social exclusion, radicalisation that may lead to violent extremism, unemployment, as well as unhealthy lifestyles and obesity. |

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|  | 6. | ACKNOWLEDGE the need for appropriate cooperation with the sport stakeholders, inter alia, through the structured dialogue[(4)](#ntr4-C_2017189EN.01000501-E0004). |

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|  | 7. | TAKE NOTE of the results from the Eurobarometer on Sport and Physical Activity published in 2014, acknowledging the great differences among Member States, including as regards the results on voluntary work and sedentary behaviour, and take note of the statistics produced by Eurostat covering key economic and social data on sport. |

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|  | 8. | ACKNOWLEDGE the need to cooperate with third countries, in particular candidate countries and potential candidates to the EU, to promote European values through sport diplomacy, and with the competent international organisations in the field of sport, including the Council of Europe, WADA and the World Health Organisation. |

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|  | 9. | CONSEQUENTLY AGREE:   |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | to further develop a framework of European cooperation in the field of sport by establishing a third EU Work Plan for Sport for Member States and Commission actions, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | on a concrete timeline for this Work Plan, namely 1 July 2017 to 31 December 2020, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | that activities at EU level in the field of sport should focus on the priority themes, key topics, outputs as well as working methods and structures listed in this Work Plan, and as set out in Annex I. | |

II.   DEVELOPING FURTHER THE EUROPEAN DIMENSION IN SPORT BY ESTABLISHING AN EU WORK PLAN

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|  | 10. | CONSIDER that this EU Work Plan for Sport should be governed by the following guiding objectives:   |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | to ensure, through cross-sectoral cooperation, the awareness of other EU policy domains of the contribution that sport can make in meeting the policy challenges facing the EU, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | to strengthen further the evidence base for sport, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | to promote a cooperative and concerted approach among Member States and the Commission, and where appropriate with the sport movement and other relevant stakeholders, to deliver added value in the field of sport at EU level over the longer term, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | to address transnational challenges using a coordinated EU approach, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | to take into account the specific nature of sport, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | to contribute to the overarching priorities of the EU economic and social policy agenda, as well as sustainable development in order to give a boost for jobs, growth and investment as well as preparing the post 2020 period[(5)](#ntr5-C_2017189EN.01000501-E0005), |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | to promote gender equality, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | to take into account the relationship between education and sport, including dual careers, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | to build on the achievements of the first two EU Work Plans for Sport, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | to complement and reinforce the impact of activities launched under the Erasmus+ programme in the field of sport, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | to contribute to the development of grassroots sports in the EU. | |

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|  | 11. | UNDERLINE that this EU Work Plan should be a flexible framework and instrument which is capable of responding in a timely way to developments in the field of sport and to take into account the priorities of the future Presidencies. |

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|  | 12. | AGREE that the following themes and key topics should be given priority by Member States and the Commission for the period covered by this Work Plan. They could be complemented by each Presidency in the light of any possible new developments:   |  |  | | --- | --- | | (1) | Integrity of sport, in particular promoting good governance including the safeguarding of minors, the specificity of sport, combatting corruption and match-fixing, as well as fighting doping; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | (2) | The economic dimension of sport, in particular innovation in sport, and sport and the digital single market; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | (3) | Sport and society, in particular social inclusion, the role of coaches, education in and through sport, sport and health, sport and environment and sport and media, as well as sport diplomacy. |   The details relating to the execution of the above key topics are set out in Annex I. |

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|  | 13. | AGREE THAT:   |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | the EU Work Plan may be revised by the Council and the Representatives of Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council in the light of results achieved and policy developments at EU level, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | mid-term reflections on the EU Work Plan will be organised during the first half of 2019. | |

III.   WORKING METHODS AND STRUCTURES

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|  | 14. | RECOGNISE that there is a need to continue close cooperation between Member States as well as with the Commission to implement the Work Plan. Also recognise that the sport movement and relevant competent organisations at national, European and international levels such as the Council of Europe, WADA and the WHO should be closely associated to this cooperation. |

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|  | 15. | CONSIDER THAT:  Appropriate working structures and methods should be established for the follow-up of achievements from the first two EU Work Plans and for developing new outputs in line with the priority themes and key topics, as set out in paragraph 12 above;  Expert Groups and clusters meetings should be organised, when appropriate, by the Commission in the policy areas which were, inter alia, dealt with extensively by the previous and current Work Plans for Sport.  Meetings may be organised at the initiative of one or several Member States on subjects of common interest (groups of interested Member States). These meetings will deal, inter alia, with peer learning activities among participating Member States.  Other structures and working methods may include Presidency conferences and seminars, informal meetings of Sport Ministers and Directors, Commission studies and Commission conferences and seminars.  The key principles relating to the various working methods are set out in Annex II.  In the second half of 2020, the implementation of the present EU Work Plan will be evaluated by the Council on the basis of a report prepared by the Commission during the first half of 2020. |

IV.   FURTHER STEPS

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|  | 16. | INVITE THE MEMBER STATES TO:   |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | work together with the Commission to implement this EU Work Plan in an effective manner and by using the working structures and methods specified by this Resolution, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | whilst respecting the principle of subsidiarity and the autonomy of sport’s governing structures, take due account of this EU Work Plan when developing policy at national level, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | regularly inform, and where appropriate consult, sport stakeholders on progress made in implementing the EU Work Plan, in order to ensure the relevance and visibility of the activities, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | disseminate, where appropriate, in the Member States and at the appropriate levels, the results achieved under this and previous EU Work Plans for Sport, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | organise meetings on subjects of common interest (groups of interested Member States), |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | initiate and lead peer learning exercises in cooperation with the Commission. | |

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|  | 17. | INVITE THE PRESIDENCIES OF THE COUNCIL TO:   |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | take into account, including in the context of the Trio Presidency, the EU Work Plan priority themes when developing their programme and build upon the results already achieved, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | inform the Member States on ongoing or planned work in other Council formations that has an impact on sport, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | at the end of the term covered by the present Resolution, and on the basis of a Report prepared by the Commission, propose a new draft EU Work Plan for the next period, if appropriate, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | consider the evaluation of the structured dialogue with the sport movement[(6)](#ntr6-C_2017189EN.01000501-E0006). | |

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|  | 18. | INVITE THE COMMISSION TO:   |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | work with the Member States in implementing this Work Plan, in particular regarding the outputs outlined in Annex I, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | inform the Member States on ongoing or planned initiatives in other EU policy areas impacting on sport and respective developments in the Commission, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | inform the Working Party on Sport of the mandates of the expert groups, |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | — | support the Member States and other relevant actors in their activities on the themes and key topics set out in the present Resolution, in particular by:   |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | examining means to facilitate the participation of Member States and experts, as well as to invite representatives from the sport movement and, where appropriate, other stakeholders in the expert groups referred to in Annex I, assuring a high and coherent level of representativeness and expertise, |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | — | establishing expert groups in the following areas:   |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Integrity |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Skills and human resources development in sport, | |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | establishing other forms of support for promoting exchange of good practices and peer learning as well as for building knowledge (e.g. studies), |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | providing the necessary expert input on anti-doping issues, in particular the compatibility with EU law of any forthcoming revision of the WADA Anti-doping Code, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | providing logistical and technical support for gathering and disseminating relevant documents and information on EU sport policy, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | organising specific cluster meetings in the policy areas which were dealt with extensively by the previous and current Work Plans for Sport. The aim of such meetings is to discuss policy-relevant outcomes of EU funded projects that benefit sport as well as to foster exchange of good practices and insights on specific topics, to take stock of progress made and to identify where further action is needed, in particular in the areas set out in Annex I. These types of meetings should be organised at least once per year, | |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | ensure a follow-up of the work done by previous High Level Groups set up by Commission on ‘Grassroots Sport’ and ‘Sport and Diplomacy’, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | ensure a follow-up of the recommendations produced by the previous Expert Group on Good Governance and ensure continuity on current issues related to the fight against match-fixing, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | promote the recognition of skills and competences in sport, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | facilitate the structured dialogue on sport, including the organisation on an annual basis of the EU Sport Forum, bringing together all the key stakeholders at different levels of sport, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | develop the annual European Week of Sport and promote the Week throughout the year as a tool to promote participation in sport and physical activity in line with the priorities of this Work Plan, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | support the priority themes and corresponding key topics established by this Work Plan, taking advantage of the Erasmus+ programme and other relevant EU programmes, as well as European Structural and Investment Funds, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | adopt, during the first half of 2020 and on the basis of voluntary contributions from Member States, a Report on the implementation and relevance of the Work Plan. This Report will be the basis for the preparation of a possible successor EU Work Plan during the second half of 2020, |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | where appropriate, make the outputs achieved in the working structures of this and previous EU Work Plans for Sport publicly available. | |

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