Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on ‘Developing the European dimension of sport’
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
— stresses that local and regional authorities have always acknowledged and harnessed the educational potential of sport, incorporating it into education policies and measures to improve quality of life, including in terms of public health;
— welcomes, in particular, the steps taken by the European Commission to support the fight against fraud and corruption in the field of sport;
— emphasises the ethical values of sport and in particular the need to teach young people the value of losing and fair play, starting with trainers and technicians, who must teach by example, in order to put a stop to improper and counter-educational incidents;
— stresses the societal value of sports initiatives such as the Special Olympics and the Paralympics, which further the social inclusion of people with disabilities, contributing in varying degrees to their personal independence;
— advocates supporting innovative initiatives, in the framework of lifelong learning, to encourage physical exercise in schools, especially between the ages of four and fourteen;
— calls for the opportunities under the European Regional Development Fund to be fully exploited in support of sports infrastructure and activities and for opportunities under the European Social Fund to be used to improve the skills and employability of workers in the sports sectors.
Rapporteur Roberto PELLA (IT/EPP), Member of the Council of Valdengo, Member of the Council of the City of Biella
Reference document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on Developing the European Dimension in Sport
COM(2011) 12 final
Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on ‘Developing the European dimension of sport’
