EU Sport Ministers meeting
Lisbon, 25 October 2007

Dear Ministers,
Dear Delegates,

It is a pleasure to be in Lisbon again and especially today,
because we are starting to write a new chapter for sport in Europe.
Just before the summer break, the White Paper on Sport was
adopted by the European Commission and presented to EU Sport
Directors. This landmark policy document spells out the first
comprehensive strategy on sport by the European Commission.
Almost in parallel, the European Council gave a mandate to the
Intergovernmental Conference to include sport in the Reform Treaty.

I am happy to see that the Portuguese Presidency managed to reach an
agreement on the Treaty last week. We are meeting today at the same
place. And sport is included in this Lisbon Reform Treaty text. We
will now have a sound legal basis for European sports policies.
This is a major success. The text of the sport provision is a good
one, and Member States have done well to resist calls to re-open the
discussion on its content. I am optimistic that the Treaty will be
ratified by all Member States by January 2009.

In this context, and with the support we have always received
from your governments and the sports community, I felt that this was
the perfect time for a comprehensive policy initiative on sport. The
aspirations laid down in the White Paper and the actions proposed in
the Pierre de Coubertin Action Plan will pave the way for future work.
We need to develop a vision for sports policies in the EU. We
must strengthen the dialogue among ourselves and with sport
stakeholders. If we work together, we will not miss this opportunity.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to present to you now the main elements of the
White Paper.

What we see today is the culmination of a process that started
with the declarations on sport adopted by the European Council in
Amsterdam as far back as ten years ago. This early framework created
high expectations from governmental and non–governmental sport
stakeholders, who wished to see their concerns addressed in EU
policy–making.

These expectations include the need to promote sport and to
achieve more legal certainty for the activities of the sport sector with
regard to the application of EU law. The interest surrounding the
debate on governance in European football is just one example.
The White Paper was prepared by consultation process that took
about two years to complete and that involved national authorities,
sport stakeholders, and the various departments that deal with sport
within the European Commission.

The input and guidance we received from national governments
was very useful as were the views expressed in the three sport–related
EU Working Groups. I would like to thank all of you for your support.
Consultations with sport stakeholders took the form of several
conferences and meetings with representatives at all levels. We also
held an on–line consultation in the spring and we received 777 replies.
This is a large figure for this type of consultation.

Finally, there was the consultation within the Commission. Only
a year ago, as many as 17 Directorates–General were conducting their
actions in the domain of sport.

This has changed thanks to the White Paper. Effective
coordination has been introduced, including the creation of a “Sport”
Inter–Service Group.

What are the objectives of the White Paper?
While drafting it, we sought to find the right balance between
competing interests, different sports, amateur and professional sports,
and between the specificity of sport and the application of EU
legislation. As a result, our initiative is broad and covers all the
different aspects of EU action which can be related to sport.

I don’t need to tell you we have been very careful to respect
subsidiarity. EU action is proposed only if it provides clear value
added compared to action at national level. The White Paper also
respects the autonomy of sport governance bodies, as long as this
takes place in the existing EU legal framework.

Since the current EU Treaties provide no specific legal
competence for sport, the White Paper proposes a mix of soft
provisions, and not regulatory or legislative measures.
The main goals of White Paper can be summarised as follows:
First, providing strategic orientation on the role of sport in the
EU. The White Paper creates a general framework for the
Commission’s sport-related activities until the Reform Treaty enters
into force.

Second, raising awareness of the needs and specificities of the
sector. The White Paper and its annexes illustrate the specific
characteristics in detail.

Third, improving knowledge about the application of EU law to
sport. The White Paper includes detailed annexes on the application of
Internal Market and competition provisions to the sport sector.
Fourth, enhancing the visibility of sport in EU actions, where its
social and economic potential remains untapped. The White Paper
explains how existing programmes and funds can support sport
related actions.

Fifth, encouraging debate on specific issues, notably on
governance. Examples include players’ agents, protection of minors,
licensing systems, and the individual or collective sale of media rights.
Finally, an action plan named after Pierre de Coubertin is
attached to the White Paper which lists no fewer than 53 concrete
actions to be implemented or supported by the Commission.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
What are the next steps in the implementation of the White
Paper?

The Action Plan will guide the work of Commission during the
next few years along three main lines:
First is a stronger dialogue with the sport movement. We agreed the
structural aspects of this dialogue with stakeholders at our
conference two weeks ago in Brussels.

Second is a support to social dialogue, in particular by establishing
European Social Dialogue Committees for the sport sector.
Finally, stronger political cooperation among Member States,
which is the main reason of our meeting today.

I would like to invite a reflection on the framework for our
discussions on sport, which currently revolve around the Rolling
Agenda adopted in 2004. I think we should have a more coherent
debate if we are to seize the opportunities created by the White Paper
and the Reform Treaty.

There is plenty of room to strengthen political cooperation using
our present informal structures. Our proposals include:
Setting joint European priorities;
Reviewing the topics included in the Rolling Agenda;
Defining more clearly the aims to be achieved under each topic.
I would welcome your positions on these and other ideas.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The White Paper is just the first step towards a more ambitious
goal: the creation of a European sport policy. The Reform Treaty
provides for sport in the existing Article 149, which already covers
education, vocational training and youth. It is thus an area where the
Union has supporting competences. Sport policies will thus remain in
the hands of Member States and sport organisations.

What will change when the ratification process is completed and
if everything goes to plan?
First, it will have the political and structural implications. In the
future, sports ministers will meet in the framework of the EU Council
of Ministers. You will agree that your decisions and those of your
successors will carry more weight when this happens.

Second, EU competence for sport will open the way to a genuine
Sport Programme. A number of areas covered by the White Paper
would benefit from joint projects and exchanges of best practices.
These projects could be supported by an EU Sport Programme.
Finally, EU policy areas—such as the internal market—will
probably pay more attention to the specific nature of sport. Logically,
when a policy areas is included in the treaties, its specific needs are
better recognised and understood.

Dear Ministers,
Dear Delegates,
These are important times for the promotion of sport in Europe.
Just two weeks ago, the White Paper received strong support when we
presented it to the leading representatives of Europe’s sport movement.
Building on the initial exchange of views among EU Sport Directors
last July, today we have an excellent opportunity to exchange views at
the highest political level and to set out our priorities for the years to
come. I would encourage you all to express the results of your
national reflection processes on the White Paper and your preferences
and priorities for implementing the “Pierre de Coubertin” Action Plan.
Your support to the White Paper is crucial. I am confident the
conclusions of today’s meeting will show this support and your
determination to use the momentum for sport policy in an EU context.

Thank you.