Brussels, 23/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - Sport contributes 2% to the GDP of the European Union, a percentage share which is likely to increase over the next few years. Despite this considerable contribution, the economic impact of the sporting industries continues to be underestimated, stressed the participants of a high-level meeting with the world of sport, organised by the European Commission (under the aegis of the Commissioners for Industry, Antonio Tajani, and Sport, Androulla Vassiliou) and held on 21 January of this year. Five months on, sports' representatives presented the Commission with an action plan to support the sports industry and thereby guarantee its positive impact on the European economy. To this end, there are three main objectives: 1) maximising the effectiveness of investments in sporting infrastructure, to top up limited public funding; 2) promoting the competitiveness of industries affiliated to the world of sport (textile industry, electronics, etc); 3) responding to demand for sports and recreation activities and maximising the positive effects of sport on growth and employment. (IL)