Brussels, 24/11/2015 (Agence Europe) - The Council of the EU, meeting on Tuesday 24 November, underlined how sport can counter radicalisation and reduce healthcare spending.
That was the message sent out by EU sports ministers in conclusions on the promotion of motor, physical and sports activity in children, on the one hand, and on the involvement of the EU in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on the other. Ministers also discussed sport as a means of social integration.
World Anti-Doping Agency. Short of total overhaul, ministers propose “improvements” to the system of representation and coordination arrangements among member states ahead of WADA meetings. Under the current system, regulated by a 2011 resolution which is due to be re-assessed before the end of the year, the EU is represented by three member states (a representative of the trio of Presidencies in office of the Council of the EU, a representative of the incoming trio of Presidencies and a ministerial expert from a member state). Ministers are calling for: (1) more regular involvement of the Presidency of the Council of the EU in meetings of the Council of Europe and WADA; (2) a more systematic contribution from the European Commission in preparing the draft EU mandate; (3) improvement to ad hoc and on-site coordination meetings and to preparation of meetings of public authorities. Ministers propose to re-evaluate the situation between now and 31 December 2018.
Promoting physical activity. In a series of conclusions, ministers encourage all children, including those who suffer from a handicap, to engage in physical activity. Among the concrete measures, ministers call on the Presidency of the Council, the Commission and the member states to encourage financial support to be granted to motor skills and physical education initiatives under existing EU programmes, such as Erasmus+ and European structural and investment funds.
Social integration through sport. Ministers closed their meeting with an exchange of views on how sport can help disadvantaged young people find a place in society. Attending the discussion, which focused in particular on young people from a migrant background, were Richard Allicock, community development manager with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (UK, England) and double Olympic champion Edwin Moses (US), chairman of the Laureus World Sports Awards.
No progress on match fixing. The Luxembourg Presidency of the Council delivered an update on discussions in the working party on proposals for a Council decision on signing, on behalf of the EU, the Council of Europe convention on the manipulation of sports competitions in relation to issues linked or not linked to the definition of criminal offences. When asked at the press conference, Commissioner Tibor Navracsics said that deadlock was due to the Maltese position, which invoked arguments of an economic nature. “Malta would like to remove the definition on illegal betting, which would require more substantial amendment of the text”, added Luxembourg Sports Minister Romain Schneider. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)