Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-09-07-Speech-4-017"
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"en.20000907.1.4-017"2
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"Mr President, sport is a popular activity. We have just had Euro 2000, the Olympic Games are about to start, and, what is more, there are an increasing number of people who enjoy sports as a leisure activity. It is healthy and brings people together from all walks of life, irrespective of age or race. This is, of course, extremely important in a society which increasingly focuses on the individual. At the same time, as has already been pointed out, there is also a downside to sport, namely violence around the pitches, the use of doping, an increase in the use of performance-enhancing substances – also increasingly so in amateur sport – and the huge pressure on sportsmen and women due to the major economic interests involved.
This is why we welcome with open arms the fact that the European Commission has taken it upon itself to highlight the social aspect of sport and to examine how the economic dimension of sport can be reconciled with the educational and other roles that sport fulfils. The PPE-DE is entirely behind this objective and has tabled amendments to give this initiative a boost. It has, more specifically, submitted proposals to step up the support given to sports organisations, in order to invest in people, in team spirit and to improve the legal framework underpinning sport, as all we have at the moment is the declaration to the Treaty of Amsterdam.
With regard to a few specific problems which sport is having to contend with, I would like to say the following on the issue of transfers. The Bosman ruling has mainly hit the smaller clubs, as the Commissioner has already pointed out, especially in the smaller countries, such as the Netherlands where I am from. These clubs invariably need to make major investments in training and education without sufficient backing or compensation. We therefore hope that the Commission, in tandem with the sports organisations, will produce proposals which will make amends in the short term. The sports federations, such as UEFA and FIFA, have also submitted proposals to this effect.
Doping is a huge, international problem, as already pointed out by the rapporteur, who has drafted an excellent report, and it is therefore vital for there to be international cooperation in this respect. We will need to agree internationally on what we take doping to mean and will need to refer to the World Anti-Doping Agency. It would be useful if pharmaceutical products could be labelled with a ‘doping-safe’ logo and a warning, and we would also welcome a more pro-active preventive policy."@en1
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