The European Commission provides grants to reduce violence and intolerance in sport.
Twelve trans-national projects have received grants ranging from €125 000 to €200 000 (details below) as part of a package of ‘preparatory actions’ intended to pave the way for the launch of an EU sub-programme for sport, which would also support grassroots campaigns to promote physical activity, social inclusion through sport, and the fight against doping.
Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, said that supporting sport at the grassroots’ level is one of my priorities. Without EU funding many valuable sporting initiatives would not get off the ground. She added that she is very happy that these 12 projects are receiving EU funding and wish them a lot of success.
Background: The projects funded under the 2011 ‘Preparatory Actions’
The EU support covers two themes:
a) Prevention of and fight against violence and intolerance in sport:
Projects selected in this area support innovative trans-national networks focused on the prevention of and fight against violence and discrimination. The funding supports the exchange of good practices between the sport sector, educational institutions, supporters’ organisations, non-governmental organisations and national and local authorities with the aim of promoting respect for fundamental European values in sport.
The funded projects are:
Title : ELYS - Educational LABs for European Young Supporters
Objectives : Educating young people to tackle violence in sport
Lead organisation : Regional Committee CONI, Lombardy
Countries involved : EL, ES, IE, IT, NL, NO, PT, RO, UK
Grant : €200,000
Title : Prevention of sexualized violence in sport
Objectives : Creating a network of experts and organisations to prevent sexualized violence in sport
Lead organisation : Deutsche Sportjugend im Deutschen Olympischen Sportbund e.V.
Countries involved : DE, GR, NO, UK, CZ, ES, CY, DK, BE, SI
Grant : €200,000
Title : Preventing and fighting homophobic violence and intolerance in sport - Pride in Sport
Objectives : Developing a network to fight homophobia in sport
Lead organisation : European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation
Countries involved : DE, FR, HU, SL, UK, European-wide organisation
Grant : €160,000
Title : Pro Supporters - Prevention through empowerment
Objectives : Developing measures to tackle football-related violence and racism through preventive fan-based schemes across Europe
Lead organisation : Fonds Wiener Institut für internationalen Dialog und Zusammenarbeit
Countries involved : AT, CZ, IE, UK, DE, NL, European-wide organisations
Grant : €200,000
b) Promoting innovative approaches to strengthen the organisation of sport in Europe:
Good governance is a precondition for the autonomy and self-regulation of sport organisations. The funding supports trans-national networks aimed at developing a European dimension in sport. These networks also seek to strengthen the administrative capacity of sport organisations and to increase the competitive level of sport in Europe.
The funded projects are:
Title: Sport 4 Good Governance (S4G)
Objectives: Support and guidance for good governance in sport organisations
Lead organisation: EU Office of the European Olympic Committees
Countries involved: BE, CR, CY, DE, DK, EE, HR, IT, NL, SI, CH, European wide organisation
Grant: €200,000
Title: Good governance in grassroots’ sports
Objectives: Increasing organisational capacity
Lead organisation: International Sport and Culture Association
Countries involved: CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FR, IT, IE, RO, UK, European-wide organisation
Grant: €200,000
Title: The further development of a coordinated network for sport coaching in Europe (CoachNet)
Objectives: Establishing a coordination system for the improvement of sport coaching
Lead organisation: Leeds Metropolitan University
Countries involved: DE, ES, FI, FR, HU, IE, NL, PT
Grant: €200,000
Title: European Rugby League Governance Foundation Project
Objectives: Developing a European dimension in Rugby League
Lead organisation: Rugby League European Federation
Countries involved: CZ, DE, FR, IE, IT, LV, NL, SE, UK
Grant: €100,000
Title: Improving football governance through supporter involvement and community ownership
Objectives: Strengthening club ownership by supporters
Lead organisation: Supporters Direct
Countries involved: BE, DE, ES, FR, IT, PT, SE, UK
Grant: €200,000
Title: Better Boards, Stronger Sport
Objectives: Promoting effective management boards in sport organisations
Lead organisation: Sport and Recreation Alliance
Countries involved: EE, FI, HU,IE, PL and transnational sport networks
Grant: €125,000
Title: Action for Good Governance in International Sports organisations
Objectives: Identify guidelines and possible solutions to improve the governance of international and European sport organisations
Lead organisation: Danish Institute for Sports Studies / Play the Game
Countries involved: BE, CH, DE, DK, NL, SI, UK
Grant: €200,000
Title: European ABC (Academy for Billiard Champions) on the way to Sport Excellence
Objectives: Improving the organszational and institutional capacity of billiard organisations
Lead organisation: Bulgarian Billiard Federation
Countries involved: BG, CZ, PL, RO, SI
Grant: €130,000
The EU’s role in sport
The EU’s role is to support, supplement and coordinate actions by the Member States and to develop a European dimension in sport. According to Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the EU shall “contribute to the promotion of European sporting issues, while taking account of the specific nature of sport, its structures based on voluntary activity and its social and educational function… [the EU’s action] shall be aimed at developing the European dimension in sport, by promoting fairness and openness in sporting competitions and cooperation between bodies responsible for sports, and by protecting the physical and moral integrity of sportsmen and sportswomen, especially the youngest sportsmen and sportswomen”.
The proposed EU sport sub-programme will be part a broader programme supporting education, training, and youth (’Erasmus for All’), which is due to be adopted by the Commission later this month. The Commission has proposed €15.2 billion in funding for the Erasmus for All programme between 2014 and 2020 (see IP/11/857).