Brussels, 19/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Sports Ministers of the European Union and representatives of the Olympic movement and the major sports federations will, on Wednesday, be focusing on the means to improve their cooperation to combat doping, with a view to reaching concrete results before the Olympic Games in Athens (2004) and Turin (2006). The meeting will be chaired by the Spanish Secretary of State for Sport, Juan Antonio Gomez Angulo, European Commissioner for Sports Viviane Reding, and the President of the International Olympics Committee, Jacques Rogge. The Prodi Commission is solidly committed to the fight against doping, mainly by supporting several projects including the athletes' passport, which was successfully introduced at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games. Before end 2002, Viviane Reding will submit a Community Action Plan against Doping.
On Wednesday, the following subjects will be covered: (1) The case for regulatory and legislative alignment. There is a need to examine whether differences between Member States' rules and those of the federations lead to problems and whether there is a case for agreeing on common standards to ensure, amongst other things, better legal security for sanctions. The Commission stresses the usefulness of exchanging best practice. (2) Strengthening education and prevention. Although this first of all comes under the responsibility of the public authorities, the Commission considers that the sports movement may considerably support and help such action. (3) Improvement of athletes' environment. Doping is often the result of the numerous pressures exerted on athletes: too many sporting fixtures, economic interests, etc. This has to be taken on board in the fight against doping and ways must be found of reducing this pressure. (4) Ensuring the effectiveness of the WADA. One of the priorities of the WADA must be the setting in place of effective control procedures and instruments to measure the progress accomplished at world level in the fight against doping.