The European Parliament is recommending several ways to improve the image of sport which has recently been tarnished by recent doping and corruption scandals. In a report adopted on Thursday 2 February, it called on the European Commission to place good governance and physical activity among the priorities of the next work plan on sport.
The non-legislative resolution, “On an integrated approach to Sport Policy: good governance, accessibility and integrity” drafted by Hannu Takkula (ALDE, Finland) is based on two main areas. The first part tackles the question of integrity and good governance in sport and the second part, looks at social inclusion and the social function and accessibility of sport.
The part on the integrity of sport is certainly more interesting, insofar as it tackles the recent scandals of corruption and doping sport. In this regard, MEPs recommend cooperation and transnational efforts, as well as improved internal self-regulatory procedures to put an end to corruption. They also call on international, European and national sports organisations to adopt practices of good governance, develop a culture of transparency and sustainable finance and release their financial accounts and activity reports to the public.
They also call on sports organisations to present concrete proposals by 2018, to strengthen standards on good governance for sports organisations, leading sports bodies and their members’ associations. In light of the Sotchi and Rio Games, they also appeal to Commission and member states, as well as sports organisations, to ensure that candidacy processes for hosting major events respect the standards of good governance, fundamental and labour rights, as well as the principle of democracy.
With regard to what particularly involves the European Union, MEPs remind the Commission of its commitment to drawing up a recommendation on an exchange of good practices to prevent match fixing in relation to sports betting and the fight against this phenomenon. They also call on the Council of the EU to unblock discussions on the signing and ratification of the Council of Europe convention on the manipulation of sports competitions (see EUROPE 11710). (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)