Brussels, 14/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - On 12 September, the European Parliament's environment, public health and food safety committee overwhelmingly voted in favour (just one abstention) of the report by Sophie Auconie (EPP, France) on the European dimension of sport. The MEP said that she was “pleased to have been able to bring all the different political groups together around three major ideas”: (1) considering sport as a powerful factor in reducing medical costs at a time when social security spending is increasing, because sport can play an important role in public health matters; (2) including sport in the EUROPE 2020 strategy due to its economic dynamism and social benefits; (3) encouraging the European Union to play a more proactive role in defending the integrity of sport and supporting sporting bodies in the fight against threats to its credibility and authenticity in competitions (doping, corruption and fraud). (I.L./transl.fl)