52007SC0934

[pic] | COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES |

Brussels, 11.7.2007

SEC(2007) 934

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT ACTION PLAN "PIERRE DE COUBERTIN"

Accompanying document to the WHITE PAPER ON SPORT {COM(2007) 391 final}{SEC(2007)932}{SEC(2007)935}{SEC(2007)936}

ACTION PLAN "PIERRE DE COUBERTIN"

The White Paper on Sport contains a number of proposed actions to be implemented or supported by the Commission. These actions are brought together in the present Action Plan, named after Pierre de Coubertin. The Action Plan will guide the Commission in its sport-related activities during the coming years while fully taking into account and respecting the principle of subsidiarity and the autonomy of sport organisations.

A. The societal role of sport |

A.1. Public health and physical activity |

(1) Together with the Member States, develop new physical activity guidelines. (2) Support an EU Health-Enhancing Physical Activity network and, if appropriate, smaller and more focused networks dealing with specific aspects of the topic. (3) Mobilise the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (RTD), the EU Public Health Programme, the Youth and Citizenship programmes and the Life-Long Learning (LLL) Programme. |

A.2. Fight against doping |

(4) Support partnerships through training courses and networking between training centres for law enforcement officers. (5) Facilitate a coordinated EU approach in the fight against doping, e.g. by supporting a network of national anti-doping organisations. |

A.3. Education and training |

(6) Promote participation in educational opportunities through sport under the Lifelong Learning Programme (Comenius, Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig). (7) Identify projects for the implementation of the European Qualification Framework (EQF) and the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) in the sport sector. (8) Introduce the award of a European label to schools actively supporting physical activities. (9) Complete the analysis of rules requiring that teams include a certain quota of locally trained players. |

A.4. Volunteering in sport, active citizenship and non-profit sport organisations |

(10) Together with Member States, identify key challenges for non-profit sport organisations and the main characteristics of services provided by these organisations. (11) Support grassroots sport through the Europe for Citizens Programme. (12) Encourage young people's volunteering in sport through the Youth in Action Programme. (13) Develop the exchange of information and best practice on volunteering in sport. (14) Launch a study on volunteering in sport. |

A.5. Social inclusion in and through sport |

(15) Mobilise the Progress, Lifelong Learning, Youth in Action and Europe for Citizens programmes as well as the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the European Integration Fund to support actions promoting social inclusion and integration through sport and combating discrimination in sport. (16) In the Action Plan on the European Union Disability Strategy, take into account the importance of sport for disabled people and support Member State actions in this field. (17) In the framework of the Roadmap for Equality between Women and Men 2006-2010, encourage the mainstreaming of gender issues into sports-related activities, with a specific focus on access to sport for immigrant women and women from ethnic minorities, women's access to decision-making positions in sport and media coverage of women in sport. |

A.6. Prevention of and fight against racism and violence in sport |

(18) As regards racism and xenophobia, promote dialogue and exchange of best practices in the existing cooperation framework. (19) Promote, in accordance with national and EU rules applicable, the exchange of operational information and practical know-how and experience on the prevention of violent and racist incidents between law enforcement services and with sport organisations. (20) Analyse possibilities for new legal instruments and other EU-wide standards to prevent public disorder at sport events. (21) Promote a multidisciplinary approach to preventing anti-social behaviour, with a special focus given to socio-educational actions such as fan-coaching (long-term work with supporters to develop a positive and non-violent attitude). (22) Strengthen regular and structured cooperation among law enforcement services, sport organisations and other stakeholders. (23) Encourage the use of the following programmes, to contribute to the prevention of and fight against violence and racism in sport: Youth in Action, Europe for Citizens, DAPHNE III, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship and Prevention and Fight against Crime. (24) Organise a high level conference to discuss measures contributing to prevent and fight violence and racism in sport events with stakeholders. |

A.7. Sport in the Union's external relations |

(25) Promote the use of sport as a tool in the EU's development policy. (26) Include sport-related issues in policy dialogue and cooperation with partner countries when appropriate. Promote sport as an element of the EU's public diplomacy. (27) Pay particular attention to the sport sector when implementing the recently presented Communication on circular migration and mobility partnerships with third countries. (28) Pay particular attention to the sport sector when elaborating harmonised schemes for the admission of various categories of third country nationals for economic purposes on the basis of the 2005 Policy Plan on Legal Migration. |

A.8. Sustainable development |

(29) Encourage the participation of sport stakeholders in the Eco Management Audit Scheme (EMAS), Community Eco-Label Award schemes and green procurement, and promote these schemes during major sport events in cooperation with Member States, sport organisations and organisers. (30) Promote green procurement in the political dialogue with Member States and other concerned parties. (31) Raise awareness, through guidance developed in cooperation with relevant stakeholders (policy makers, SMEs, local communities), about the need to work together in partnership at the regional level to organise sport events in a sustainable way. (32) Take sport into account in the new Life+ programme. |

B. The economic dimension of sport |

B.1. Economic impact of sport |

(33) Together with Member States, develop a European statistical method for measuring the economic impact of sport. (34) Conduct specific sport-related surveys to provide non-economic information on sport. (35) Launch a study to assess the sport sector’s contribution to the Lisbon Agenda. (36) Organise the exchange of best practices concerning the organisation of large sport events. |

B.2. Public support for sport |

(37) Carry out a study on the financing of grassroots sport and sport for all in the Member States from both public and private sources, and on the impact of on-going changes in this area. (38) Defend the possibilities of reduced VAT rates for sport. |

C. The organisation of sport |

C.1. Free movement and nationality |

(39) Combat discrimination based on nationality in all sports through political dialogue, recommendations, structured dialogue with stakeholders and infringement procedures when appropriate. (40) Launch a study on access to individual sport competitions for non-nationals. |

C.2 Players' agents |

(41) Carry out an impact assessment to provide a clear overview of the activities of players’ agents in the EU and an evaluation of whether action at EU level is necessary, which will also analyse the different possible options. |

C.3. Protection of minors |

(42) Continue to monitor the implementation of EU legislation, in particular the Directive on the Protection of Young People at Work. (43) Propose to Member States and sport organisations to cooperate on the protection of the moral and physical integrity of young people through the dissemination of information on existing legislation, establishment of minimum standards and exchange of best practices. |

C.4. Corruption, money-laundering and other financial crime |

(44) Support public-private partnerships representative of sports interests and anti-corruption authorities, which would identify vulnerabilities to corruption in the sport sector and assist in the development of effective preventive and repressive strategies to counter such corruption. (45) Continue to monitor the implementation of EU anti-money laundering legislation in the Member States with regard to the sport sector. |

C.5. Licensing systems |

(46) Establish a dialogue with sport organisations on self-regulatory licensing systems for clubs/teams. (47) Starting with football, organise a conference with UEFA, EPFL, Fifpro, national associations and national leagues on existing licensing systems and best practices in this field. |

C.6. Media |

(48) Recommend to sport organisations to pay due attention to the creation and maintenance of solidarity mechanisms for an equitable redistribution of income between clubs and between professional and amateur sport. |

D. Follow-up |

D.1. Structured dialogue with sport stakeholders |

(49) Provide for a more efficient dialogue structure on sport at EU level, including the organisation of an annual European Sport Forum and thematic discussions with targeted audiences, European sport stakeholders in particular. (50) Promote greater European visibility at sporting events and support the further development of the European Capitals of Sport initiative. |

D.2. Cooperation with Member States |

(51) Propose to the Member States to strengthen political cooperation on sport through a reinforced Rolling Agenda, common priorities and regular reporting to EU Sport Ministers. (52) Report on the implementation of the Action Plan through the mechanism of the Rolling Agenda. |

D.3. Social dialogue |

(53) Encourage efforts leading to the establishment of European Social Dialogue Committees in the sport sector, and support employers and employees in this respect. |