Brussels, 15/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 14 September, the Luxembourg minister for sport, Romain Schneider, appeared before the culture and education committee of the European Parliament (CULT) to detail the priorities of the Luxembourg Presidency in the field of sport. These will involve promoting physical and motor activities for children and infants, combating match-fixing in sport and the representation and coordination of the European Union at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
In his speech, Schneider stressed the importance of promoting physical activities for children from as early an age as possible, highlighting the fact that children who play sports tend to achieve better academic results. He welcomed the pioneering role of the EP and the CULT committee, which stressed in a resolution as long ago as 2007 that specific physical activities should be encouraged for school-age children and preschoolers. Schneider argues that this is a “constant concern at European level”, referred to in the 2014-2017 working plan in favour of sport, which will feed into the conclusions of the 'Sport' Council of 23 November. The minister also returned to the subject of the EU's representation within the WADA and the conclusions of an informal meeting held in Luxembourg in July, which reiterated that no consensus had been reached to change the current mode of representation. A further priority is the question of a dual career for athletes, to allow them to reconcile their high-level sports with school or university education. He also stressed the importance of promoting sport with integrity, free from cheating and doping, and announced that the Presidency will, on behalf of the EU, be treating the Council's proposals on the signature of the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions “as the highest priority”.
During the debate, the ministers welcomed the Presidency's intention of laying emphasis on promoting physical activity in young children. They also noted that sport is a matter for national competence and that it would therefore be better to focus on exchanging best practices. On the fight against doping, Petra Kammerevert (S&D, Germany) called for common standards to be laid down at European level by means of the directive, to stress that doping is a crime. (Isabelle Lamberty)