Positive developments to be consolidated. In devoting a commentary to the issues of sport, I feel as if I have gone back several years into the past. At that time, this column gave considerable attention to the legal issues surrounding football in its European context, the Bosman ruling of the Court of Justice (December 1995) having ignored the significance of sporting activity for young people, for education, for the integration of citizens from former overseas colonies. The ruling, despite a few rhetorical phrases, ignored the significance of sport for society and concentrated on the purely legal: free movement of labour in the EU, banning discrimination based on nationality, free competition as soon the sporting activity became professional. The European Commission and most of the European Parliament went, to a large extent, with the Court. The commissioner with responsibility for competition went as far as to say that he intended to see to it that football clubs would immediately be able to field as many players from other member states as they wanted in competitions that were already underway, totally ignoring the basic rule in sport that the rules must not be changed once a competition has begun.
On a more general level, over-zealous officials were suggesting that Europe should send a “Community” team to the Olympics, bringing together athletes from all the member states in one single team. The very principle of national teams was thus put in question, using the examples of the USSR and German-Austrian unification - Stalin and Hitler: fine examples, indeed, to be followed. Europe would probably have topped the medals table, and too bad for sporting rivalry and the joy of competition. I prefer the choice made by the British, who formed a United Kingdom, but retained four different and rival football sides: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
A way of attracting the public. The years have passed, and the situation has gradually improved. The significance of sport has been recognised in the European Treaties, Parliament has been much more positive in its response to it, the Court of Justice itself has moved on, acknowledging, in several judgments, the significance and nature of sport. After long hesitation, sport was recognised as a special case in an annex to the Treaty of Amsterdam; this was then stated explicitly in a European Council declaration and through a further declaration in the Treaty of Nice. The Lisbon Treaty brings in the possibility of taking action (Article 165). We are at a turning point. The European Parliament is about, once again, to give its views on some key points. The Lisbon Treaty, which brings progress for sport, as it does for so many other areas, might very well come into effect in the next few months.
A further reason for talking about this immediately is the opening of the European Parliament electoral campaign. Everywhere we hear talk of how important it is to get citizens interested in Europe, of basing debate on what will attract the people. It is true that, for the moment, people's priorities have more to do with the economic crisis: unemployment, wage levels, debt. But sport, and especially football, continues to enthral huge numbers. I believe that, if people realised the extent to which national championships, the Champions League, the composition of teams and the balance of results are linked to European rules, this area could also become an election issue. It is not about raising legal issues, but about affirming principles and priorities. It is up to Europe to show that it now gives greater priority to the significance and impact of sporting activity for our society.
Moral and civic points. Moral and civic points are at least as important as the physical. For how many young people does sport mean the first, and perhaps only, contact with the values of loyalty, solidarity with team-mates and even respect for one's opponents? There are also doping and violence, but these are aberrations, scourges to be combated. Some legal battles seem insignificant compared with the importance of what is at stake. The Bosman ruling, by banning transfer fees which allowed clubs to fund their youth training and coaching programmes, destroyed something of huge importance to youth training and integration of immigrant families, and it encouraged domination by the richest clubs. Progress has been made towards a healthier view. All the institutions, with the European Parliament at their head, must continue along the right track. (F.R./transl.rt)