Summary
The European Scrutiny Committee referred the European Commission (EC) White Paper on Sport, published on 11 July 2007, to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee for an opinion. The White Paper consists of three policy discussions: on the social value of sport; the economic value of sport; and the organisation of sport.
This Report from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, 'European Commission White Paper on Sport' (HC 347), examines the content of the White Paper - and sport and EU law - in detail.
Various action points emerge from the discussions and - with the White Paper - these form the Action Plan 'Pierre de Coubertin' (included as an appendix to this report). There is a lack of competence for sport under existing EU treaties, though not under the Reform or Lisbon treaty.
The Committee believes that sport has distinctive characteristics that need to be taken into account in the application of EU law. Much of the White Paper is useful in exploring scope for using existing networks and programmes to support participation in sport.
The Committee does not believe, however, that there is any justification or necessity for the EC to take a more active role in driving the development of policy on sport and notes the alarm created by the lack of a clear statement on the autonomy of sports organisations. Governing bodies of sport should have the freedom to decide for themselves how their sport is run.
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