Brussels, 08/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - Twelve transnational projects addressing the issues of violence and intolerance in sport have been awarded grants of between €125,000 and €200,000 as part of a package of preparatory initiatives intended to pave the way for a sub-programme which will also support grassroots campaigns to promote physical activity, social inclusion through sport, and the fight against doping.
The European Commission awarded grants, on Tuesday 8 November, to support initiatives aimed at tackling violence and intolerance in sport and to strengthen the way sport is run in Europe. Twelve transnational projects will receive funding of between €125,000 and €200,000 as part of the preparation for the launch of an EU sub-programme for sport to support local campaigns to get people to take up some form of physical activity, to use sport to promote social inclusion and to tackle doping. The proposed EU sport sub-programme will be part of a broader programme supporting education, training, and youth, Erasmus for All, which will be presented by Education and Sport Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou before the end of the month. The Commission has proposed €15.2 billion in funding for the Erasmus for All programme between 2014 and 2020.
With funding under the 2011 “Preparatory Actions”, four projects seek to prevent and tackle violence and intolerance in sport. The funded projects in this area - ELYS (Educational LABs for European Young Supporters); Prevention of sexualized violence in sport; Preventing and fighting homophobic violence and intolerance in sport - Pride in Sport; and Pro Supporters - Prevention through empowerment - support innovative transnational networks which focus on preventing and tackling violence and intolerance in sport. The money will help fund the exchange of best practice between the sports sector, educational institutions, supporters' organisations, non-governmental organisations and national and local authorities with the aim of promoting respect for fundamental European values in sport.
Eight other projects seek to promote innovative approaches to improve the organisation of sport in Europe. The funding for these eight projects - Sport 4 Good Governance (S4G); Good governance in grassroots sports; The further development of a coordinated network for sport coaching in Europe (CoachNet); European Rugby League Governance Foundation Project; Improving football governance through supporter involvement and community ownership; Better Boards, Stronger Sport; Action for Good Governance in International Sports organisations; European ABC (Academy for Billiard Champions) on the way to Sport Excellence - will support transnational networks aimed at developing a European dimension in sport. These networks also seek to strengthen the administrative capacity of sport organisations and to increase the competitive level of sport in Europe. (EH/transl.rt)