Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-12-17-Speech-3-387"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20081217.24.3-387"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"In my opinion the new agreement provides an opportunity not only for an EU sports policy but also for an EU sports programme, and I believe that its popularity and closeness to the citizens of the Union will resemble that of the Erasmus programme, which has become both highly popular and also effective. This is not merely a question of the increasing mobility of individuals, but also of the Bologna Process and of the numbers of educational opportunities that we see after twenty years as a European path to the greater openness and relevance of education, qualifications and the attractiveness of Europe. And this is very important.
Sport is very necessary and also popular and that is why any programme in connection with Article 149 should be closely linked to the space and agenda of education and young people, for sport has been added explicitly to Article 149 for the first time. Similar instruments and similar formations of the Council of Ministers will be established under this Article.
I am delighted to say that the Commission is ready to take part in preparing the application of this Article, and the White Paper is an excellent precondition or step in this direction which, at the same time, does not prejudge but places sport more at the centre of cooperation both between countries and between sporting bodies in Europe.
As far as finance is concerned, beginnings are often rather modest and, at the same time, very necessary. I expect that a special budget chapter or an item approved in Parliament for next year and totalling EUR 6 million will assist with some activities or preparations for the future period of the sports programme. It would be premature for me to speak today of budgetary consequences. I will speak rather about the preparatory work. Some ideas have already been approved in Parliament.
As far as Biarritz or education and sport are concerned, my view is that Biarritz was a success and I have already stated that it was an initial forum. At the same time, the conclusions of the European Council came within two weeks, and it is not an every day event that premiers and presidents talk about sport. The formal conclusions are very encouraging, not only concerning the forum in Biarritz, but also with regard to further cooperation and the content of that cooperation.
Obesity and sport for all are closely linked as sport is one of the most effective antidotes or weapons in the fight against obesity. In Europe, there is unfortunately a general decline in levels of physical education in terms of numbers of hours per pupil during the school year, and this is a bad trend which must be changed. At the same time, the quality of the time spent on this type of education must be improved and I am delighted that we have managed, for the first time, to draw up a so-called set of guidelines for physical education which was actually approved in Biarritz. It has been produced by experts and I believe that it will be approved, perhaps implemented, but mainly approved and adopted at a Member State level by Health Ministers at the Health Council. This only goes to show that sport requires a horizontal approach. It requires more coordination and coherence in our various policy areas and the Commission will strive to achieve this with your assistance."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples