European Elections 2014: A fresh start?
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European Elections 2014: A fresh start?
On May 22-25, voters from across Europe will come to the polls to choose their representatives
in the European Parliament for the next five years.
The European Union ideal is more in doubt than ever, and an increase in the number of
Euro-sceptic MEPs is looking all the more likely. However, this will have little impact on the
overall balance of power in the European Parliament, with the centre-right (EPP) and centre-left
(S&D) groups still gaining the most seats. For the moment, polls show a really tight vote result
between these two, with both parties on course to end up with between 200-210 seats each.
The results of the European elections are also going to play an important role in the
appointment of the next president of the European Commission, with the end of the
mandate of the current Commission looming on 31 October. The European Parliament believes
the post of Commission President should go to either the top candidate of the political party
that wins the most votes or to the candidate who can get a majority among the groups. However,
Member States have indicated that they will appoint the candidate as they see fit, meaning a
clash between the Parliament and Council on this issue is a possibility.
The first plenary session of the newly elected Parliament will take place on July 1st. The new
make-up of the Committees will also be in place by that time, with MEPs having their first
meetings in July as well, before going into summer recess for the month of August.
Many of the MEPs that have taken an interest in sport are standing for election again,
including Emma McClarkin from the UK, Morten Løkkegaard from Denmark, Sophie Auconie
from France, Ivo Belet from Belgium and Santiago Fisas Ayxela from Spain. We hope to see
many of these familiar faces returning to carry on their good work and ensure that sport issues
will get even greater attention from MEPs in the next mandate.
We wish them all the very best of luck!
We will keep you updated on the results of the European elections and the new
composition of the Parliament’s Culture Committee in the next edition of our
newsletter.
For more information on
anything in the Brussels
Update, please contact
EU Sports Platform Rue
d’Arlon 25
1050 Brussels +32 2234 6113
March-
info@eusportsplatform.eu April
www.eusportsplatform.eu 2014
INSIDE
European Commission publishes study
on sports organisers' rights in the EU
….3
EPP group organises hearing on
“Football for Roma inclusion”
….4
Commissioner Vassiliou meets with
MEPs on sports issues
….4
EU Ministers to discuss the economic,
social and environmental sustainability
of major sport events
…5
Commissioner Vassiliou: “Football
needs more female coaches”
….5
Greek Presidency: Seminar on “Gender
based violence in Sport: minors
protection”
….6
European Commission’s Eurobarometer
on sport reveals high levels of inactivity
in the EU
….6
Dates for the Diary
….7
News in Brief
….8
Parliamentary Questions
….8
For more information on
anything in the Brussels
Update, please contact
EU Sports Platform Rue
d’Arlon 25
1050 Brussels +32 2234 6113
March-
info@eusportsplatform.eu? April
www.eusportsplatform.eu 2014European Commission publishes study on sports
organisers' rights in the EU
Inside
On 25 April, the European Commission license their exploitation rights beyond
published the study conducted by TMC the media field, notably in the area of
Asser Institute and the University of gambling.
Amsterdam on sports organisers' rights
in the EU. The study’s main findings are:
The specific objectives of the study • In the majority of EU countries the
were: interests of sports organisers find
• To map the legal framework direct or indirect recognition in the
applicable to the origin and general laws of property and
ownership of sports organisers' contracts. The study does not point
rights in the 28 Member States; out an urgent need for a harmonising
• to analyse the nature and scope of initiative in this respect.
sports organisers' rights with • The laws on copyright and
regard to licensing practices in the neighbouring rights that provide
field of the media, taking into legal protection of the audiovisual
account relevant EU law provisions; recordings and broadcasts of sports
• to examine the possibility of events are almost completely
establishing licensing practices harmonised in the EU.
beyond the media field, notably in • While the calls of sports
the area of gambling and betting; organisations for effective
• to provide recommendations on enforcement remedies are
the opportunity of EU action to comparable to those of the
address any problem that may be traditional content industries, the case
identified in the above mentioned for expedient remedies is arguably
areas of analysis stronger for sport.
• It is recommended to establish a
Part I of the study focuses on the centrally driven distribution
various types of legal protection system that allocates the revenue
currently available to the organisers of derived from (commercial) betting or
sports events and part II examines how other gambling services to sports on
sports organisers’ rights are managed the basis of transparent criteria
and licensed in the field of media. Part • A right to consent to bets could be
III examines, from an EU and national considered as one of the available
legal perspective, the possibility for mechanisms to protect the integrity
sports organisers to of sport from betting-related match
fixing on condition that extensive and
resource-intensive institutional and
operational requirements necessary
For more information on for its successful implementation can
anything in the Brussels be satisfied. Other mechanisms may
Update, please contact
EU Sports Platform Rue
be explored by Member States to
d’Arlon 25 safeguard the integrity of sport
1050 Brussels +32 2234 6113 competitions in relation to betting.
March-
info@eusportsplatform.eu April
www.eusportsplatform.eu 2014
3EPP group organises Commissioner Vassiliou
hearing on “Football for meets with MEPs on sports
Inside Roma inclusion” issues
On 18 March, the parliamentary group of On 18 March, European Commissioner
the European People's Party (EPP) Androula Vassiliou met with the
organised a hearing on “Football for members of the Culture Committee in
Roma inclusion”, under the patronage of the European Parliament for the last time
Polish MEP Jerzy Buzek, former before the upcoming European elections.
President of the European Parliament.
Sport was among the issues MEPs raised
The objective of the event was to raise with the Commissioner, whose
awareness concerning the role of sports intervention was focused on the benefits
in social inclusion, to promote the of the Erasmus+ programme.
elimination of discrimination based on
ethnicity and social disadvantage in the MEP Santiago Fisas-Ayxela (EPP/Spain)
field of sport, to achieve better access for inquired about the state of play of the
socially-disadvantaged Roma to mass and European week of sport and whether
competitive sports, as well as to publicise this is still planned for September 2015.
the related opportunities provided by the The Commissioner confirmed that on 11
European integration process in general June a big conference will take place,
and the European Framework for where all stakeholders will be able to
National Roma Inclusion Policies in express their views on the European
specific. week for sport. The Commission is still
planning to have the week in September
This project aims at contributing to 2015.
supporting and providing a European
basic framework for breaking out of MEP Doris Pack (EPP/Germany) asked
poverty through sports, promoting a the Commissioner whether sport events
healthy lifestyle, strengthening a positive taking place annually could be funded
identity among marginalised through Erasmus + and the
communities, facilitating crime prevention Commissioner confirmed that such
and the prevention of victimisation, as events are not precluded.
well as to positively influence the
attitudes of football fans towards The first meeting of the Culture
minorities and marginalised people. Committee under the new mandate will
take place on 10 July.
For more information on
anything in the Brussels
Update, please contact
EU Sports Platform Rue
d’Arlon 25
1050 Brussels +32 2234 6113
March-
info@eusportsplatform.eu April
www.eusportsplatform.eu 2014EU Ministers to discuss the
economic, social and Commissioner Vassiliou:
Inside environmental “Football needs more
sustainability of major female coaches”
sport events
On 20-21 May, the EU Ministers Androulla Vassiliou, the European
responsible for sport issues will meet in Commissioner responsible for sport, met
Brussels. Among other topics of with UEFA President Michel Platini in
discussion, the Ministers will also hold a the margins of a meeting of the UEFA
public debate on the economic, social Women in Football Leadership
and environmental sustainability of Programme in Switzerland on April 30
major sport events. and called for UEFA to do more to
promote female coaches in football.
To that end, the Greek Presidency of
the Council has drawn up a discussion Commissioner Vassiliou proposed
paper as the basis for the Ministers’ strengthened cooperation between
debate. The document looks at the UEFA and the EU on gender issues,
increasing importance of leverage and including the fight against discrimination
legacy when planning major sporting and sexual harassment.
events. The 1964 and 1976 Olympic
Winter Games in Innsbruck, the 1992 Speaking ahead of the meeting, the
Games in Barcelona and the 2004 Commissioner said: “The low number of
Athens Olympic Games are cited as female coaches means that European
examples of how important it is to football teams are missing out on a lot of
ensure that a long lasting legacy and coaching talent, in both men's and women's
leverage benefits from major one-off football. More female coaches could also
sporting events are achieved, even more encourage more girls and women to take up the
in times of financial crisis. sport.”
The goal of this discussion is for While football is an increasingly popular
Member States with significant sport for girls and women, they are still
experience in the organisation of such under-represented on a professional basis
events to share positive and negative and as volunteers. It is estimated that
experiences. Mr David Grevemberg only 20-30% of all football coaches are
(CEO of the Glasgow 2014 female and 20 out of 52 European sport
Commonwealth Games) has been federations do not have a single woman
invited to the meeting as an expert on their board.
speaker.
For more information on
anything in the Brussels
Update, please contact
EU Sports Platform Rue
d’Arlon 25
1050 Brussels +32 2234 6113
March-
info@eusportsplatform.eu April
www.eusportsplatform.eu 2014Greek Presidency: Seminar European Commission’s
on "Gender based violence Eurobarometer on sport
Inside in Sport: minors reveals high levels of
protection" inactivity in the EU
On 20 March, the Greek Presidency of On 24 March, the European Commission
the Council of the EU organised a published the results of the latest
seminar entitled “Gender based Eurobarometer survey on sport and
violence, minors’ protection”, with the physical activity, according to which, 59%
aim to contribute to one of the most of EU citizens never or seldom
sensitive, complicated and difficult exercise or play sport, while 41% do so
aspects of the issue of gender at least once a week.
equality in sport.
Northern Europe is more physically
During the seminar, experts from the 28 active than the South and East. 70%
Member States, Governmental and of respondents in Sweden said they
Non-Governmental sport bodies, state exercise or play sport at least once a
and international organizations officials week, just ahead of Denmark (68%) and
and academics approached the problem. Finland (66%), followed by the
Netherlands (58%) and Luxembourg
The seminar produced concrete (54%). At the other end of the scale, 78%
proposals on gender equality in sport in never do so in Bulgaria, followed by
the form of a declaration, which calls Malta (75%), Portugal (64%), Romania
upon the European Commission, the (60%) and Italy (60%).
Member States and all relevant actors to
assess the nature and extent of gender The survey shows that local authorities
based violence in sport, in particular on in particular could do more to
elite sport, the coach-athlete encourage citizens to be physically
relationship, the entourage in sport- active. While 74% of respondents
athlete relationship and the peer athlete- believe that local sport clubs and other
athlete relationship. providers provide sufficient opportunities
for this, 39% think their local authorities
You can find the full declaration at the are not doing enough.
following link:
http://gr2014.eu/sites/default/files/D This Eurobarometer survey was carried
ECLARATION-gbv.pdf out for the European Commission by the
TNS Opinion & Social network in the 28
Member States between 23 November
and 2 December 2013. Nearly 28,000
respondents from different social and
population groups took part in the poll.
For more information on
The survey follows comparable surveys
anything in the Brussels
Update, please contact conducted in 2002 and 2009, and will
EU Sports Platform Rue contribute to providing data to support
d’Arlon 25 the development of policies to promote
1050 Brussels +32 2234 6113 sport and physical activity. March-
info@eusportsplatform.eu April
www.eusportsplatform.eu 2014Dates for the Diary
Inside
20-21 May Meeting of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Ministers of the
EU (EYCS Council)
11 June European Commission event: European Week of Sport – Preparing for
the launch 2015
13 June 3rd European Conference on Sports Innovation in Voiron (Isere,
France)
16-17 June Pan-European “Sport and Prison” Conference
For more information on
anything in the Brussels
Update, please contact
EU Sports Platform Rue
d’Arlon 25
1050 Brussels +32 2234 6113
March-
info@eusportsplatform.eu April
www.eusportsplatform.eu 2014News in brief Parliamentary questions
Inside
Members of the European Parliament have
EC approves £110 million 3 sports the right to ask Parliamentary Questions to the
stadiums in Belfast, Northern Ireland European Commission on areas relating to
European law, including sport. Recent queries
On 9 April, the European Commission have included:
announced that Northern Irish plans to
grant £110 million for the reconstruction - The creation of the “Nations League” by
of three sports stadiums in Belfast is UEFA and the Commission’s view on
consistent with EU State aid rules. The whether the League promotes European
Commission found that the proposed spirit from MEP Iñaki Fernández (Spain);
funding contributes to urban regeneration - The recent changes by the Italian Basket
and social cohesion, in line with EU Federation to the championships for the
objectives, without unduly distorting 2013-2014 season and relevant concerns for
competition in the Single Market. the free movement of sports workers in the
EU from MEP Sergio Berlato (Italy);
- Whether the plans for building a new
Belgian national stadium on land belonging
EC asks Spain to end indirect to the City of Brussels are compatible with
discrimination towards basketball EU competition rules from MEP Mark
players from other Member States Demesmaeker (Belgium);
- Whether the Commission considers it
On 16 April, the European Commission appropriate to expand its investigation into
published its request to Spain to change its the public funding of certain Spanish
rules on the composition of basketball professional football clubs to Atlético de
teams as the current quotas for locally Madrid FC from MEP Francisco Sosa
trained players lead to indirect Wagner (Spain);
discrimination towards players from other - If there are any European regulations
Member States. Spain now has two months governing first aid at sporting events from
to notify the Commission of the measures MEP Sergio Silvestris (Italy);
taken to remedy this situation; otherwise, - Whether the Commission intends to tackle
the Commission may decide to refer Spain the restrictions imposed by broadcasters on
to the EU's Court of Justice. customers who wish to watch sports events
outside their home Member State from
Syed Kamall (UK);
- What are the Commission’s actions at
European level, together with anti-doping
authorities, to encourage and assist
attempts to catch doping cheats from MEP
Diane Dodds (UK);
For more information on - What the Commission is doing to attract
anything in the Brussels
more women to sport from Claudette
Update, please contact
EU Sports Platform Rue Baldacchino (Malta).
d’Arlon 25
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March-
info@eusportsplatform.eu April
www.eusportsplatform.eu 2014You can also read
