EU: The White Paper on Sport - Frequently Asked Questions

8/9/2019 EU: The White Paper on Sport - Frequently Asked Questions

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MEMO/07/290

Brussels, 11 July 2007

The White Paper on Sport: Frequently AskedQuestions

1) What is the White Paper on Sport?

The White Paper on Sport is the first comprehensive initiative on sport undertaken bythe Commission. It aims at:

providing strategic orientation on the role of sport in the EU,

encouraging debate on specific problems, enhancing the visibility of sport in EU policy-making,

raising awareness of the needs and specificities of the sector, and

identifying the appropriate level of further action at EU level.

The White Paper sets out the key ideas and provides the political messages. It isaccompanied by several staff working documents:

an Action Plan, named after Pierre de Coubertin, which brings togetherconcrete proposals for further EU action contained in the White Paper;

a Staff Working Document describing the background and context of theproposals made in the White Paper, including annexes on sport andcompetition rules, sport and Internal Market freedoms, and consultations withstakeholders;

an Impact Assessment.

2) What are the objectives?

To reflect the comprehensive nature of the document, the topics covered have beenstructured in three parts:

The "societal role of sport" reflects the significance of sport as a social

phenomenon. Sport has many societal benefits which are not necessarilymeasurable in economic terms but which should be taken into account inEuropean policy-making as they contribute to the EUs general policyobjectives in areas such as public health, social cohesion, education andtraining, and active citizenship. The White Paper identifies the relevantexisting programmes and actions to promote this dimension of sport anddevelops cooperation and consultation mechanisms with sport stakeholders.

The "economic dimension of sport" reflects the fact that sport makes asignificant and growing contribution to the European economy and jobcreation. Sport is thus making a useful contribution to the Lisbon Strategy,but the visibility of this contribution has so far remained limited. The WhitePaper makes a number of proposals to arrive at more evidence-basedpolicies in this sector.


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The "organisation of sport" mainly covers governance issues of interest forprofessional sport. In particular, it develops the concept of specificity of sportwithin the limits of existing EU competences. The initiative does not weakenthe application of EU law to sport (no block exemption to EU law isproposed). A case-by-case approach remains the basis for the Commission'scontrol of the implementation of EU law (in particular competition rules) in thissector, in line with the current Treaty provisions, and taking the Nice

Declaration into consideration.The White Paper has two main aims:

First, to mainstream sport into the various relevant EU policies in order toimprove its use as a tool for EU policy. This aim finds expression mostconcretely in the Action Plan which accompanies the White Paper. Most ofthese actions address the societal role of sport and the economic dimensionof sport.

Second, to increase legal certainty regarding the application of the acquis tosport, as a contribution to improved governance in European sport. This aimfinds expression in particular in the Staff Working Document "Background

and Context" and its two annexes on sport & competition and sport & InternalMarket. For the first time ever the Commission takes stock of ECJ case lawand Commission Decisions in the area of sport.

3) How were the opinions of sport organisations taken into account?

Stakeholder consultations have been an essential tool in the process leading to theadoption of the White Paper on Sport. In addition to the formal requirements toconsult with relevant actors, the Commission has been able to profit from its largeframework for consultation, communication and interaction with Member StateGovernments, sport organisations, other representatives of civil society, andindividual citizens in the field of sport.

The Commission has a long tradition of dialogue with the European sport movement,dating back to 1991 when the first European Sport Forum was organised in Brussels.In 2005, with the then prospect of a direct legal competence for sport in theConstitutional Treaty, it became apparent that the Commission would need toconsult with sport stakeholders in such a way as to be prepared for variousscenarios in terms of the status which sport could be expected to have at EU level inthe future. The Commission informed stakeholders that it would consult with them inorder to identify concrete topics of direct practical relevance to stakeholders. Thisapproach was well received by stakeholders and a consultation process waslaunched under the title: "The EU & Sport: Matching Expectations".

The first consultation conference was organised on 14-15 June 2005, including three

workshops on the social function of sport, volunteering in sport and the fight againstdoping.

The second consultation conference took place in Brussels on 29-30 June 2006,including three workshops on what later became the big themes of the White Paper the societal function of sport, the economic impact of sport and the governance ofsport.

While the big stakeholders conferences included both organised sport and non-traditional sport (lifestyle sport, socio-cultural sport organisations etc.), theCommission also recognised the need to meet at the highest level with Europeansport federations. Such conferences took place in Brussels in the autumn of 2004,2005 and 2006.


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The conference with sport federations of 2006 under the title Sport Governance inEurope focussed exclusively on governance issues. Chaired by CommissionerFigel', the meeting was conceived to provide direct input into the White Paperprocess.

An on-line consultation was open for all interested organisations and individualsduring an 8-week period in February-April 2007 and resulted in 777 contributions.

In addition, a considerable number of bilateral meetings took place with keystakeholders including the International Olympic Committee, the European OlympicCommittees and UEFA.

The opinions of sport stakeholders have had considerable influence on the structureand content of the White Paper. In recent week, sport organisations have called theCommission's attention in particular to a number of governance-related issues:

Concerning rules on "home grown players", the Commission considers thatrules requiring that teams include a certain quota of locally trained playersmust not lead to any direct discrimination and possible indirect discriminationeffects resulting from them must be proportionate to the legitimate objectivepursued to secure compatibility with the Treaty. If these conditions are met,

such mechanisms can be acceptable.

On the issue of media rights, the Commission reaffirms the importance ofputting in place robust solidarity mechanisms between professional andamateur grassroots sport.

The Commission reaffirms its acceptance of limited and proportionaterestrictions (in line with EU Treaty provisions on the free movement ofpersons and European Court of Justice rulings) to the principle of freemovement, e.g. as regards the right to select national athletes for nationalteam competitions.

4) Are there financial instruments to support the implementation of theWhite Paper?

The Community does not have a specific budget line for sport. Possibilities to obtainfinancial support from the Commission for projects related to sport are thereforelimited. However, sport-related projects and actions are sometimes eligible in theframework of existing EU programmes and funds, for example in the areas ofeducation, youth, citizenship, health and equal opportunities, or in relation to suchthemes under the European Regional Development Fund and the European SocialFund.

In 2004, projects and actions relating to sport and education were financed within theEuropean Year of Education through Sport (EYES 2004).

The White Paper will serve as a basis for mainstreaming sport-related projects intoexisting EU programmes and funds.


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5) What are the next steps?

The White Paper will be transmitted to the European Parliament, the Council, theCommittee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee. TheCommission will organise a conference to present the White Paper to sportstakeholders in the autumn of 2007. It will also present its findings to EU SportMinisters.

The Commission will follow up on the initiatives presented in the White Paper onSport through the implementation of a structured dialogue with sport stakeholders,cooperation with the Member States, and the promotion of social dialogue in thesport sector.

When setting the mandate for the next Inter-Governmental Conference, theEuropean Council agreed in June 2007 that amendments to the EC Treaty shouldinclude a reference to sport, based on wording agreed during the 2004 Inter-Governmental Conference. The White Paper will allow the Commission to prepare ina coherent manner for the possible future introduction of an EU competence forsport.

Also see: IP/07/1066More information :http://ec.europa.eu/sport/index_en.html

Documents

EU: The White Paper on Sport - Frequently Asked Questions