European Commission launches consultation on sport policies at EU level

On 8 April 2010, the European Commission has launched a consultation on how to implement the new EU competences on sport policies. The consultation is public and its deadline is 01 June 2010.

The entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009 provided the EU with competence in this field. Aimed at developing a European dimension of sport, this new soft competence will allow the European Union to elaborate EU Sports Programmes and better promote issues related to sport and physical activity in other policy areas such as health and education.

In parallel, a Eurobarometer survey on sport and physical activity has been published in March 2010. Its results might be useful considering that the EU is currently drafting the first EU Sports Programme. The key findings of the survey are as follows:

 65% of EU citizens claimed to engage in some form of physical activity, amongst which 40% said they practiced sport at least once a week;
 the Nordic countries are the most physically active;
 75% of respondents thought they had opportunities to be physically active in their area, however only 56% respondents felt this way in the 12 new Member States;
 34% of respondents never or only rarely engaged in physical activity.

In the field of sport, 2010 promises to be a busy year with a European Parliament hearing on EU sport competence scheduled for spring, the first EU Sports Council to be held in May, and a European Commission Communication on the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on sport in mid-2010.

For further information:

 European Commission page on Sport
 WHO page on physical activity

EPHA related articles:

 EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health - 11 February 2010
 ’’Move more for less’’ - encouraging physical activity on a budget
 article 3523
 White Paper on sport: an-other step to tackle obesity
 Children encouraged to eat chocolate to ’earn’ sports equipment