No sector is spared by the COVID-19 pandemic. This was stated by the EU Sport Ministers on Tuesday 21 April during the high-level video conference organised by the Croatian Presidency of the EU Council. They referred to the postponement or cancellation of events, but pointed out that the negative consequences were much broader.
The nearly 3-hour discussion focused on three main themes: - the specific measures planned or already in place in the Member States to support the sports sector; - the means to ensure continuity in the training of athletes and to increase the physical activity of citizens, while guaranteeing their safety and limiting the spread of the virus; - the principal measures to be prepared and taken to successfully relaunch activities in the sport sector.
Prior to the meeting, sports federations had sounded the alarm about the harmful consequences of the pandemic on their sector, whose economic weight is estimated at “2.12% of the EU's total GDP”. Their position statement, co-signed in particular by UEFA (football), the European Olympic Committees and national committees, called for “rapid and adequate support and a clear action plan to mitigate the negative effects of the current COVID-19 crisis on the sport sector”. The briefing note prepared by the Croatian Presidency mentioned the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games, with all its consequences, as well as the closure of local sports clubs.
In their round table, Ministers welcomed the measures already taken by the EU, in particular the flexibilities relating to State Aid and the Erasmus+ programme. Reference was made to the new instrument Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE). “There’s a lot of work ahead of us (...) But I am convinced that the sports sector will emerge from this crisis stronger than ever”, commented Croatian State Secretary Tomislav Družak. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)