Always on the look-out for new ways of promoting itself, the European Union is extending its greedy tentacles into sport. An ‘informal’ meeting of EU Sports Ministers took place on April 20-21 in Madrid at which, according to a press release from the Spanish hosts, there was an agreement to create “a ‘structured dialogue’ group between all levels of sport”. The group is to include representatives from public authorities, from the EU institutions and Member States and from the world of sport. A proposal to create a new “working group on sport and social inclusion” has also been approved.
The EU now has greater scope to act where sport is concerned, as explained by a European Commission official quoted in the same press release: “We now have a new legal situation. For the first time in the history of the EU, sport has a legal framework under the Treaty of Lisbon and we have to apply these provisions that are now part of the Treaty”. He added that: “We already have our opinions on how we could achieve this. We want to propose a political framework at EU level; we also want to propose a dedicated instrument, a programme, to apply these types of policies”.
If I have correctly identified the relevant part of the Lisbon Treaty, this weighty tome notably names sport as an area where: “The [European] Union shall have competence to carry out actions to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the Member States”.
All this may seem innocuous. Indeed, the avenues for further work look worthy enough, including as they do the physical and moral integrity of sport, drug use, protection of minors, accessibility and fair play in sport. But this is always the way it goes with the EU: slowly but surely, unnoticed by the public at large, Brussels accretes new (unnecessary) powers to itself. After a time you are left with something much bigger than you might have imagined at the start. And by the way, let’s face it, how many journalists are going to be reporting on incremental developments in the EU’s role in sport at a time when Europe is ravaged by economic crisis and crippled by a cloud of volcanic ash?
Evidently the informal meeting in Madrid will not be the end of the process. Another press release tells us that on 10 May Sports Ministers will gather for a first formal Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels, “which in itself is important”. The so-called ‘structured dialogue’ is also to be developed. But I ask the following: Is sport really an area which the Eurocrats should be getting involved in? Do we really want taxpayers’ money put towards this sort of EU activity? – I think not.
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