Paris, 07/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - Broad agreement emerged among the sports ministers of the fifteen countries of the European Union, in Paris on Monday, to invite the European Summit of Nice to adopt a declaration on the specific nature of sport. This text would be annexed to the Summit's conclusions so as better to define some major principles and clarify the situation in relation to the Treaty on the European Union concerning the rules of competition and the free movement of workers. Its precise wording will be studied by the Representatives of the Fifteen in Brussels (Coreper).
The draft, presented on Monday by the French Presidency (see EUROPE of 7 November, p.7), was broadly supported, "depending on a few small amendments", said Christophe Forax, spokesman for the European Commissioner responsible for sport. The two most controversial aspects concern the adaptation of contracts to the specific nature of sport (notably rules governing the international transfer of football players, on which negotiations are to begin between the European Commission and FIFA) and the devolved role of sports federations. The European Commission has repeated that it does not have the legal means to guarantee a monopoly for federations, but several delegations (including France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Luxembourg) expressed their deep concerns vis-à-vis the arrival of new economic operators in high-level sport.
They notably felt that the organisation of sporting competitions outside the federation risks weakening the principal of solidarity. Other (Portugal, Greece) have, on the other hand, felt that certain federations tread on the national sovereignty of Member States, by showing contempt for any regulations.
The draft declaration should be finalised in the coming weeks. "We must not confuse this exercise with a possible future annexed protocol or an article in the Treaty on sport, which is certainly not for this IGC (the Intergovernmental conference for the reform of the European institutions), stated Christophe Forax, but people are increasingly thinking of it".
Furthermore, the Monday meeting enabled to move forward on a path of Community participation in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WAA). Last reticent country, the United Kingdom said it was ready to compromise over a formula for participation. If this will is confirmed, the European Commission will present at the start of 2001 a draft for participation in the WAA in 2002 (date on which the Agency will take on its final statute). The European Commission responsible for Sport, Viviane Reding, launched a sever warning to the Fifteen so that the agree on a single European candidacy to host the WAA seat. Luxembourg reiterated, on Monday its candidacy, but seven EU cities are still competing: Bologna, Lille, Nice, Bonn, Madrid, Barcelona and Vienna. The WAA, which gather on 14 November in Oslo, will make public on this occasion a first list of candidates retained. "In the present situation, we will have to chose between Montreal and Lausanne", warned Christophe Forax. "Without Community participation (Ed.: the Member States only joined the World Anti-Doping Agency on an individual basis), we have already lost much influence within the Agency. The European Union initiated the project but the WAA is headed de facto by the United States, Canada and Australia", he explains. The Council Presidency will seek to establish, before the end of the year, a procedure allowing for agreement to be reached on a single European candidature. "Considerable lobbying work should follow on the other continents. We have already lost much time and it will no doubt be very difficult", said the spokesperson.