Kiri

EN EN

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 14.2.2024

COM(2024) 73 final

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE

COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE

COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

on the implementation and relevance of the European Union Work Plan for Sport 2021-

2024 and on the Recommendation on promoting health-enhancing physical activities

across sectors

1

A. INTRODUCTION

Since the Council adopted the 4th European Union Work Plan for Sport (2021-2024)1, sport

has continued to live up to its role as part of Europe’s culture, history and traditions. Its

unique and unifying power in our societies comes with a great responsibility as an enabler of

change through societal progress, economic activity and healthier, more cohesive

communities.

The current EU Work Plan focuses on integrity and values in sport, the socio-economic and

environmental aspects of sport and the promotion of participation in sport, as well as health-

enhancing physical activity.

The context in which this plan was implemented was complex and challenging. The sporting

world had to grapple with the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which blended in

with Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and the ensuing period of inflation, high energy

prices and geopolitical tensions influencing sports competitions. Management of challenges in

relation to these developments comes on top of work on underlying priorities, such as

promoting health, equality and safety. Legal challenges before the European courts have

increased the visibility and salience of the European dimension of sport. In particular, the

debate on the European Sport Model has intensified, capturing the public imagination.

Throughout this period, the EU Work Plan for Sport has been an anchor to ensure focus on

the core sports policy priorities, while addressing the recovery and resilience needs of the

sports sector.

The EU Work Plan is the basis for dialogue and cooperation between the Member States, the

Council and the Commission. As set out in the EU Work Plan, the Council invites the

Commission to submit a report on its implementation and relevance. This forms part of the

basis for the preparation of the next EU Work Plan, to be adopted during the first half of

2024.

This report is informed by a wide consultation. An online public consultation survey allowed

Member States and stakeholders to give written feedback. A total of 72 replies came from

Member States, international and European sports institutions, National Olympic Committees,

National Anti-Doping Organisations and other relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, the

Commission hosted a meeting to receive additional qualitative feedback from the respondents.

This report is based on an assessment of progress made in the EU Work Plan’s key policy

areas. It reviews the implementation of planned activities, looks at the effectiveness of the

tools and working methods. It includes recommendations for future actions and cooperation in

the field of sport. This report also evaluates the implementation of the Recommendation on

health-enhancing physical activity across sectors2.

B. EVALUATION/REPORTING

1. Working methods

The EU Work Plan for Sport was implemented through several established working formats

and reporting mechanisms, which have been refined and elaborated in the last three years.

1 OJ C 419, 04.12.2020, p.1–11. 2 OJ C 354, 04.12.2013, p.1-5.

2

These included Council Conclusions, debates, expert groups, peer-learning activities,

conferences and seminars, meetings of the EU Directors-General for sport and studies.

Two expert groups were set up on green sport and on the recovery and the resilience of

the sports sector during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. These groups, chaired by the

Commission, with active participation by Member States’ authorities, as well as observers and

experts from the sports movement. They delivered reports and recommendations and provided

a platform for exchanging expertise and best practice.

Peer-learning activities for Member States to exchange information and experiences on

specific topics, significantly developed over the period of the EU Work Plan. High-level

meetings and conferences such as informal meetings of the EU Directors-General for sport,

along with the policy debates in the Council played a key role in advancing policies on

common challenges.

The Commission carried out studies on topical issues and continued to develop initiatives

and campaigns, such as the EU Sport Forum, the European Week of Sport, the

HealthyLifestyle4All campaign and the SHARE initiative. These studies and campaigns

aimed to help Member States and other stakeholders develop and pursue sport policies and

activities.

Sports federations, associations and other sports stakeholders have a key role in

implementing sport policy and their views form a crucial part of policy discussions. In this

spirit, the sports movement took an active part in the annual EU Sport Forum and other

conferences. It also followed the expert groups with a keen interest.

The Commission also cooperated with international governmental and non-governmental

organisations, such as the Council of Europe (CoE), the World Health Organisation (WHO),

the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Anti-Doping Agency

(WADA).

These working methods have helped strengthen the cooperation between Member States, the

Council, the Commission and sports stakeholders. They have improved EU coordination and

enabled the exchange of valuable expertise and experience, in advancing the EU Work Plan.

At the same time, some adjustments in how actions are designed may be needed to ensure

more regular communication of results and ensure outputs that are easy to replicate.

2. Actions and outputs

2.1. Expert groups

The report on green sport from the expert group3 examined how the European sporting

system could best promote environmental sustainability and set out recommendations

addressed primarily to the public authorities and national sports organisations. These included

an invitation for sport and sustainability champions to promote green sport, the establishment

of knowledge-sharing bodies, and for funding at national and European level to support the

transition to greener sport. The report showed that sport depends highly on other sectors, with

3 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/0e76da18-9e26-11ee-b164-01aa75ed71a1

3

its primary impact on the climate centred around the travel of fans and participants to

competitions.

The expert group report on recovery and resilience4 outlined the significant impacts of

COVID-19 felt across the sports sector. The report also showed the impact of subsequent

crises, particularly related to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and rising energy costs.

Aside from the direct crisis impact and response, the report looked at how this interlinked

with wider issues such as sustainability and governance. The report thereby emphasised the

importance for sports organisations to adopt risk strategies and contingency planning.

2.2. Presidency events and peer-learning activities

Member States holding the EU presidency organised conferences, seminars and meetings of

the EU Directors-General for sport. These events delivered a wealth of expertise and policy

orientations in areas such as sports diplomacy, innovation, sustainability, integrity and

equality.

In addition, peer-learning activities have proven to be an increasingly popular method for

Member States to organise and share knowledge in more specific fields in an in-depth

manner.

A full list of presidency events and other activities can be found in Annex I. While the period

of the EU Work Plan is still ongoing, nearly all activities and events set out in this Annex

have been carried out successfully. This collective achievement reflects the strong

commitment of the Member States, the presidencies, the Council, the Commission and all

other stakeholders to contribute and collaborate under the EU Work Plan.

2.3. Further initiatives in support of the EU Work Plan

To increase the impact of the priority areas and achieve the guiding objectives of the EU

Work Plan, the Commission carried out various relevant activities to complement the actions

and purposes.

One of the plan’s guiding objectives is to intensify dialogue and cooperation. The EU Sport

Forum is the main public platform for policy dialogue among sports stakeholders on key

challenges and areas in which cooperation is ongoing as part of the EU Work Plan. Taking

place annually, it attracts up to 400 participants each year from across Europe, drawn from

sports federations, clubs, national and regional authorities, academics, athletes and NGOs.

Furthermore, in 2020, the Commission launched the High-Level Group on Gender Equality

in Sport with 15 experts from different backgrounds beginning their work in 2021. The report

on gender equality in sport produced by this group5 included an action plan with

recommendations addressed to the Commission, Member States, national and international

sports bodies and grassroots organisations across various thematic areas, such as sports

participation, equal treatment, leadership and measures to ensure safe sport.

Contributing to the priority area of increasing participation in sport and health-enhancing

physical activity, the HealthyLifestyle4All campaign, which ran from 2021 to 2023,

promoted healthy lifestyles across all generations and social groups, by linking sport and

4 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/a482583b-b3a7-11ee-b164-01aa75ed71a1 5 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/684ab3af-9f57-11ec-83e1-01aa75ed71a1

4

active lifestyles with health, food and other policies. This initiative invited contributions and

in response received 102 pledges from sports stakeholders. These included the Commission

itself, Member States, local authorities, sports federations, grassroots sports and civil society

organisations. A mapping on healthy lifestyles provides an overview of results and offers a

funding guide for projects6.

The European Week of Sport, another tool to mobilise efforts to foster participation in

sport, has gone from strength to strength and allows sports organisations, communities and

others from across the EU and its neighbourhood to promote participation in physical activity

and sport among the general public. The week is the central part of the Commission’s yearly

#BeActive campaign that promotes the EU Work Plan and sport widely throughout the EU.

The activities have continued despite the COVID-19 pandemic with its #BeActive@Home

component. The 2022 edition was a bumper year for events with more than 13 million

participants in 40 countries and regions. In 2023, there were 36 000 events involving nearly

11 million people. Since 2022, as part of the campaign, the Commission has handed out the

#BeActive Awards, in four categories, namely education, work, local hero and across

generations.

Erasmus+ Sport Actions promote participation in sport, physical activity and voluntary

activities. Through their financial support, these actions provide a substantial basis for

furthering European cooperation. They are designed to tackle both societal and sports-

related challenges and their priorities7 are well aligned with those of the EU Work Plan. The

budget has doubled compared to the previous programming period, now amounting to

EUR 470 million for the period 2021-2027. The opportunities to engage in partnerships are

increasingly popular and the introduction of small-scale partnerships enabled more grassroots

organisations to engage in cooperation. For example, in 2023 the Commission received a

record-breaking 1 500 proposals, an increase of 17% compared to 2022. In 2023, for the first

time, learning mobility projects for sports coaches were made possible.

The Commission was also involved in other areas promoting the mainstreaming of sport and

physical activity. On 30 May 2023, it held a Sport and Innovation Summit to bring together

researchers, companies and policymakers to discuss opportunities and create new partnerships

on athlete performance, sustainability and digitalisation. The #BeInclusive EU Sport

Awards recognise organisations using sport to increase social inclusion. Since 2022, the

categories have recognised projects that show how barriers can be broken, promote gender

equality and showcase the value of sport to promote EU values and peace, such as integrating

refugees from Ukraine.

As part of the EU Work Plan, the Commission contributed to evidence-based policies by

gathering data through studies and surveys, including the 2021 study on the fight against

anabolic steroids and human growth hormones in sport within the EU8 and the 2022

study on the European Sport Model9. In 2023, a study on athletes’ rights in and around

major sports events was launched with a final report planned in 2024. Moreover, the

Eurobarometer Survey on Sport and Physical Activity 202210 provided quantitative data

6 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/3c4366d4-89b5-11ee-99ba-01aa75ed71a1 7 Sports-specific priorities include: i) encouraging healthy lifestyles for all; ii) promoting integrity and values in

sport; iii) promoting education in and throughout sport; iv) combating violence and tackling racism,

discrimination and intolerance in sport; and v) tackling violent radicalisation. 8 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/76890558-f016-11eb-a71c-01aa75ed71a1. 9 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/d10b4b5b-e159-11ec-a534-01aa75ed71a1. 10 https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2668.

5

on the prevalence of sport and physical activity in the EU and on several related issues, such

as volunteering in sport, sustainability and equality. The frequency that Europeans engage in

sport is also used as a key indicator for sport policy.

2.4. Cooperation with international bodies

The EU and the CoE share common aspirations for sport, specifically for it to be a social

good, and a vehicle for human rights and European values. This is the basis for joint EU-CoE

projects focused on combating hate speech in sport, child protection and safeguarding, and

gender equality.

The Commission cooperates with WADA on the fight against doping in sport. The Council

Working Party on Sport has continued to prepare the EU’s mandate, in accordance with the

Resolution of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, on the

representation of the Member States in the Foundation Board of WADA and the coordination

of Member States’ positions prior to WADA meetings. The Council Resolution was updated

in 2023, to reflect evolving practices and legal developments11.

The Commission and UNODC are cooperating on addressing anti-corruption, anti-money-

laundering, and asset recovery in Asia and the Pacific, Africa, and at international level to

support the review mechanism of the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

The Commission also upholds good relations with the WHO and UNESCO to achieve the

goals of the EU Work Plan. The Commission has also signed formal Arrangements for

Cooperation with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)12 and the European

Olympic Committee (EOC)13.

11 OJ C 185, 26.5.2023, p. 29–34. 12 C(2022) 3721 final. 13 C(2022) 257 final.

Don't Know 0%

Regularly 6%

With some regularity

32%

Seldom 17%

Never 45%

QB1R How often do you exercise or play sport? By “exercise” we mean any form of physical activity which you do in a spot context or sport-related setting, such as swimming, training in a fitness centre

or a sport club, running in the park. (% - EU)

6

2.5 Cooperation on health-enhancing physical activity across sectors

The Council Recommendation on promoting health-enhancing physical activity across

sectors14 encourages Member States to develop national strategies and action plans to

promote physical activity while cooperating with each other and the Commission. The

Recommendation calls for the WHO to be supported in collecting data and gathering country-

specific overviews. Progress is monitored based on a framework of 23 indicators.

Overall, the structured cooperation between the WHO and the Commission can be assessed as

positive. The implementation results across the 23 indicators attained by Member States

increased from 64.7% in 2015 to 74.5% in 2018 and again to 75.7% in 2021. Only two

indicators are lagging – indicator 7 (sports clubs for health programme) and indicator 18

(European guidelines for improving infrastructure for leisure-time physical activity).

Most Member States and stakeholders consider the Recommendation and its indicators as

well as outputs and data as still relevant (details in Annex II).

3. Feedback on the implementation of the EU Work Plan for Sport

Member States’ and stakeholders’ feedback on the implementation of the EU Work Plan were

collected through an open online survey and discussions at a stakeholders’ meeting for

respondents.

Analysis showed high levels of approval for the priorities, the exchange of knowledge and

experience, and the working methods. A majority found the expert groups, studies and events

very appropriate. The peer-learning activities were also evaluated positively.

At the same time respondents suggested ways to improve the implementation and impact of

results, namely to improve the presentation of outputs and flow of information and broaden

the opportunities to share experience. Several expressed a preference for in-person contact

and networking. Continuity and building upon work done was also stressed.

14 OJ C 354, 4.12.2013, p. 1-3.

44% fully agree 48%

partly agree

7% partly disagree

1% fully disagree

In your view, has the implementation of the EU Work Plan for Sport 2021-2024 focused on the right priorities (integrity and values, recovery and crisis, participation in sport?

14% fully agree

63% partly agree

18% partly

disagree

3% fully disagree

2% do not know

In your view, has the implementation of the EU Work Plan for Sport 2021-2024 introduced the appropriate working formats (Annex I of the Work Plan)?

7

Feedback for the future: a snapshot

Member States and other stakeholders who responded to the consultation emphasised the

following topics.

Professional sports – integrity and values in sport

➢ Promote and further develop the European Sport Model

➢ Focus on the values of integrity in sport, anti-doping, anti-corruption and good

governance

Socio-economic and environmental dimensions of sport

➢ Pursue a more comprehensive approach to equal and fair access to sport

➢ Continue to promote and improve gender equality and inclusion across the board –

from governance structures to grassroots participation

➢ Focus on sustainability in sports – environmental and economic

Grassroot sports – participation in sport and health-enhancing physical activity

➢ Promote participation in grassroot sports and focus specifically on the needs of

grassroots and local organisations

➢ Focus on a holistic approach to healthy lifestyles

➢ Highlight the importance of volunteering for sports

➢ Safeguarding young people and minors in sport, including at grassroots level

Tools – working methods

➢ Foster in-person meetings and promote exchange of good practice

➢ Ensure more frequent dissemination of outputs and access to information, data and

reports

➢ Facilitate dialogue and cooperation in a flexible way

C. WAY FORWARD

The Commission welcomes the feedback from the Member States and stakeholders. While

implementing the EU Work Plan for Sport, the Commission has generally found the working

methods to perform well. The Commission sees a lot of value in continuing to support the

exchange of knowledge and experiences and recognises that this is an area where it can play a

useful coordinating role. The Commission is ready to address the issues raised in some

formats and events and is committed to their continuous improvement.

The overall assessment and feedback from Member States and stakeholders shows that the

focus on policy priorities is appropriate but may need to be reviewed against current and

future developments such as Russian’s war of aggression in Ukraine, EU enlargement or

global interest in European sport. There is general satisfaction with the exchange of

knowledge and experience and networking. The Commission shares this appreciation.

The report’s findings give an outlook on the areas for future attention. In broad terms, these

could be grouped into areas such as: i) promoting the European Sport Model; ii) shaping

value-based sports governance and major events in Europe; iii) financial sustainability;

iv) upholding high standards of integrity; v) upholding the rights of athletes pursuing their

careers; vi) ensuring equality and representation; and vii) better valuing the role of grassroots

sports and volunteering.

8

There is a clear political will and need to continue the focus on sustainable development,

looking at economic viability but also the impact of climate change on sport and the green,

innovative and inclusive solutions that it can develop. The plan may also need to consider any

changes brought on by advances in technology and AI and their impact on sport.

Ensuring equality and fairness for all people who want to access sport for the purposes of

participation remains high on the agenda, with a clear need to continue addressing the needs

and challenges of underrepresented groups in sport including women, people from

disadvantaged backgrounds and a growing group of older people and people suffering from

chronic disease or disability.

Drawing on the lessons of the wider context in which this EU Work Plan was implemented, a

stronger focus on the external and diplomatic aspects of sport, including the promotion of

European values, should also be considered.

Underpinning these focus areas is the importance of upholding and promoting integrity

and values in sport, whether through combating corruption, doping, discrimination, violence

and intolerance (e.g. hate speech), or promoting and defending social inclusion, equality,

tolerance and human rights. Sport should provide a safe environment, enabling people to learn

skills and invest in positive social connections. This is essential in ensuring that sport in

Europe can continue to play its full role as a uniting, cohesive and empowering force for our

societies, communities and economies.

The European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the

Committee of the Regions are invited to take note of this report.

As part of the next EU Work Plan for Sport, the Council is invited to consider the feedback on

priorities for future work and for the working methods identified in this report.

The Presidency is invited to take this report as a basis for the preparation of the next EU Work

Plan for Sport during the first half of 2024.

EN EN

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 14.2.2024

COM(2024) 73 final

ANNEXES 1 to 2

ANNEXES

to the

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE

COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE

COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

on the implementation and relevance of the European Union Work Plan for Sport 2021-

2024 and on the Recommendation on promoting health-enhancing physical activities

across sectors

Page 1 of 14

ANNEX I

Priority area: Protect integrity and values in sport

Key topic Theme Goal Working format Output/Dat

e

Leader(s)

Safe

Environment

in Sport1

Prevention of

harassment, abuse and

violence, including

sexual violence and any

form of discrimination

- Awareness raising

- Best-practice exchange

- Knowledge building

- Follow-up to the Recommendations of the Expert Group on Good

Governance on the protection of young athletes and safeguarding

children’s rights in sport (2016)2 and Conclusions of the Council

and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member

States meeting within the Council on safeguarding children in sport

(2019)3

Council and

preparatory bodies

Conference on Safe

Environment in sport

22/09/2023,

Valencia ES Presidency

Policy debate - EYCS

Council 24/11/2023,

Brussels ES Presidency

Anti-Doping4 Ensuring coordination

and information

sharing, in particular in

the context of WADA

and CAHAMA

meetings

- Preparation of the EU and its Member States’ positions for the Ad

Hoc European Committee for the World Anti-Doping Agency

(CAHAMA) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) meetings in

accordance with the Resolution of the Representatives of the

Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on

the representation of the EU Member States in the Foundation Board

of WADA and the coordination of Member States’ positions prior to

WADA meetings5 (or any subsequent document relating thereto)

- Best-practice exchange

Council and its

preparatory bodies

(supported as

necessary by experts)

EU coordination and

position

Presidencies,

Commission

Resolution reviewing

the EU Member

States' representation

and coordination for

15-

16/05/2023 SE Presidency

1 Article 165 (2) TFEU: ‘Union action shall be aimed at (…) developing the European dimension in sport, (…) by protecting the physical and moral integrity of sportsmen

and sportswomen, especially the youngest sportsmen and sportswomen.’ 2 https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/core/api/front/expertGroupAddtitionalInfo/25000/download 3 OJ C 419, 12.12.2019, p. 1. 4 Article 165 (2) TFEU: Union action shall be aimed at (…) developing the European dimension in sport, by promoting fairness and openness in sporting competitions (…). 5 OJ C 192, 7.6.2019, p. 1.

Page 2 of 14

- Knowledge-building

WADA

Conference on Anti-

Doping 7-8/11/2022,

Prague CZ Presidency

Sport and Education

- Sport as a framework

for personal, social and

learning skills and

promoting tolerance,

solidarity,

inclusiveness as well

as other sport values

and EU values6

- Skills and

qualifications in sport:

athletes and staff,

particularly coaches

- Awareness raising

- Best-practice exchange

- Knowledge-building

- Follow-up to the Conclusions of the Council and of the

Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting

within the Council on promoting the common values of the EU

through sport7

Group of interested

Member States (Peer-

learning activity)

12-

13/05/2022,

Berlin

DE

Conference on the

place and impact of

sport in Children’s

life:

“Conference on

Sports and

Sustainable

Development Goals

in childhood: societal

issues regarding

appropriate physical

activities”

7-8/02/2022,

Paris FR Presidency

DGs Meeting (with

special focus on

professional athletes

and sport movements

as role models)

21/09/2022,

Prague CZ Presidency

Conference

Not delivered but

taken up in the

context of the

Education Summit

30/11/2023,

Brussels Commission

Athlete’s dual careers - Awareness raising

- Best-practice exchange

Council and

preparatory bodies

Policy Debate

30/11/2021,

Brussels SI Presidency

6 Article 165 (1) TFEU: ‘The Union shall contribute to the promotion of European sporting issues, while taking account (…) its social and educational function.’ 7 OJ C 196, 8.6.2018, p. 23.

Page 3 of 14

- Follow-up to the Conclusions of the Council and of the

Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting

within the Council, on dual careers for athletes8

Gender

equality - Increasing the share of

women, especially

among coaches and

leadership positions in

sports organisations

and sports clubs

- Equal conditions

(including payment) of

female and male

athletes, coaches,

officials, staff, etc.

- Increasing the media

coverage of women’s

sport competitions,

fight against

stereotypes etc.

- Best-practice exchange

- Knowledge-building

- Follow-up to the Council Conclusions of 21 May 2014 on Gender

Equality in Sport9 and to the Recommendations of the Expert Group

on Good Governance on Gender Equality in sport (2016)10

Conference Gender

Equality in Sport 14-

15/11/2023,

Madrid

ES Presidency/

Commission

Council and

preparatory bodies

Council Conclusions

on women and

equality in the field

of sport

24/11/2023 ES Presidency

High Level Group on

Gender Equality 01/01/2021-

15/03/2022 Commission

Sport

Diplomacy Sport Diplomacy in the

context of EU external

relations

- Best-practice exchange

- Knowledge-building

- Follow-up to the Council conclusions on sport diplomacy11

Conference

Sport Diplomacy in

the context of EU

external relations

3-4/06/2021,

Lisbon PT Presidency

Group of interested

Member States 23-

24/10/2023,

Dubrovnik

HR

European

Model of

- Impact of closed sport

competitions on the

- Knowledge-building Council and

preparatory bodies

30/11/2021 SI Presidency

8 OJ C 168, 14.6.2013, p. 10. 9 OJ C 183, 14.6.2014, p. 39. 10 https://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/sport/library/policy_documents/expert-group-gender-equality_en.pdf 11 OJ C 467, 15.12.2016, p. 12.

Page 4 of 14

Sport system of organised

sport, taking into

account the specificity

of sport

- Possible challenges

faced by European

sport organisations and

federations (working

title)

- Analysis of the factual and legal situation

- Awareness raising

Resolution of the

Council on the key

features of a

European Sport

Model

Study on the

European Sport

Model

04/2022 Commission

Athletes’

rights

Athletes ‘rights and

working conditions, in

particular those related

to the participation in

sporting events (inter

alia marketing rights,

freedom of expression,

legal protection, non-

discrimination)

- Awareness raising

- Knowledge-building

- Analysis of the factual and legal situation

Study 2023-2024 Commission

Good

Governance

development

and

promotion

within sport

Identifying governance-

related obstacles to

tackle within sport

- Best-practice exchange

- Benchmarking

Conference

Not (yet) delivered

2022 - 2023 BG

SE

Fight against

the

manipulation

of sports

competitions

Council of Europe

Convention on the

Manipulation of Sports

Competitions (‘Macolin

Convention’)

- Examine ways, together with the Commission, to solve the deadlock

with regard to the Convention in view of enabling the EU and all its

Member States to complete their respective ratification processes

and accede to the Convention

- Follow-up to Conclusions of the Council and of the representatives

of the governments of the Member States meeting within the

Council on combating corruption in sport12

Council and

preparatory bodies

Not acted upon

2021 - 2022 Presidencies

Commission

12 OJ C 416, 11.12.2019, p. 3 (see paragraph 26).

Page 5 of 14

Priority area: Socio-economic and environmental dimensions of sport

Key topic Theme Goal Working format (Poss.)

Output/targ

et date

Leader(s)

Innovation

and

digitalisation

Sport innovation in

every dimension and on

all levels of the sport

sector (including the

local sports clubs)

- Best-practice exchange

- Knowledge-building

- Follow-up to the Conclusions of the Council and of the

Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting

within the Council, on sport as a driver of innovation and economic

growth13

Council and

preparatory bodies

Council conclusions

on sport innovation

18/05/2021 PT Presidency

Seminar Sport

Innovation: Beyond

business as usual’

16-

17/06/2021,

Lisbon

PT Presidency

Group of interested

Member States

Collaborate to

Innovate: Boosting

Innovation in Elite

and Grassroots Sports

in Europe’

30-

31/08/2021,

Sofia

BG

Group of interested

Member States

(focused in particular

on the use of digital

tools in coach

education14

21-

22/03/2023,

Frankfurt

DE

HR

Seminar

European Sport

Innovation

19/10/2023,

Gent

BE

Green Sport - Education for - Best-practice exchange Expert Group Expert Commission

13 OJ C 436, 5.12.2014, p. 2 14 Follow-up to the Conclusions of the Council and of the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on the role of coaches in

society (OJ C 423, 9.12.2017, p. 6) and Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on

empowering coaches by enhancing opportunities to acquire skills and competences (OJ C 196, 11.6.2020, p. 1).

Page 6 of 14

sustainable sport

- Environmentally

friendly sports

practice, facilities and

events

- Evolution of sport and

its practice in the light

of climate change

- Knowledge building

- Awareness raising

- Elaboration of a proposal for common framework with shared

commitments, taking into account the European climate pact

Group on

‘Green

Sport’

2021-2023

Group of interested

Member States

‘What are the best

practices in the EU

for implementing

waste free and

carbon-free sport

events?’ Towards a

green and sustainable

deal for sport

3-4/03/2022,

Strasbourg

FR Presidency

Group of interested

Member States

Not (yet) delivered

NL

Council and

preparatory bodies

Council Resolution

on sport and physical

activity, a promising

lever to transform

behaviour for

sustainable

development

04/04/2022 FR Presidency

Sport

facilities

Sustainable planning,

construction and

maintenance

- Best-practice exchange

- Knowledge building

- Awareness raising

Group of interested

Member States (Peer-

Learning-Activity)

‘Sports Facilities:

sustainable planning,

construction and

maintenance’

16-

17/09/2021,

Munich

DE

Conference 22/09/2022, CZ Presidency

Page 7 of 14

‘Sustainable and

accessible sport

infrastructure’

Prague

Council and

preparatory bodies

Council conclusions

on sustainable and

accessible sport

infrastructure

29/11/2022 CZ Presidency

Major

sporting

events

- Future of Europe as

hosting place for

Major sporting events

- Co-hosting of Major

sporting events by

several countries

- Sustainable planning

and realisation

- Positive legacies for

host cities or regions

(including youth

engagement)

- Best practice exchange

- Follow-up to Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives

of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the

Council, on enhancing integrity, transparency and good governance

in major sport events15 and to Recommendations of the Expert

Group on the Economic Dimension of Sport on major sport events,

in particular on legacy aspects with a focus on social, economic and

environmental sustainability (2016)16

- Follow-up to the declaration signed during the informal ministerial

meeting on 31 May 2018 in Paris17

Group of interested

Member States or

Conference

Value of major sport

events

17-

18/01/2023

Co-

organised

with the NL

FI+NL

2024 ES

EU sport perspective on

the 2024 Olympic and

Paralympic Games

DGs Meeting 15-

16/06/2022,

Paris

FR Presidency

Investments

in sport and

physical

activity

- Contribution of sport

to regional

development

- Possibilities for the use

of EU funding

- Analysis of the situation

- Best-practice exchange

- Knowledge-building

Group of interested

Member States

Not (yet) delivered

2021 IT

Cluster Meeting

Not delivered but

30/05/2023 Commission

15 OJ C 212, 14.6.2016, p. 14. 16 https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/core/api/front/expertGroupAddtitionalInfo/23271/download 17 https://www.sports.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/declarationjop2024_europe_en.pdf

Page 8 of 14

programmes

(Recovery and

Resilience Facility

(RRF), React-EU, the

Structural Funds and

other EU funding

programs)

- Follow-up to the Conclusions of the Council and the

Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting

within the Council, on the economic dimension of sport and its

socioeconomic benefits18

- Follow-up to the Conclusions of the Council and the

Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting

within the Council on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and

the recovery of the sport sector19

taken up in the

context of the SHARE

Initiative and the

Sport and Innovation

Summit

Strengthenin

g the

recovery and

the crisis

resilience of

the sport

sector during

and in the

aftermath of

the COVID-

19 pandemic

- Medium and long-term

impact of the

pandemic on

professional, high-

performance and

grassroots sports

- Possible need for

structural

modifications in the

sport system

- Role of public

authorities

- Funding opportunities

- Analysis of situation

- Best-practice exchange

- Strategy development

- Follow-up to the Conclusions of the Council and the

Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting

within the Council on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and

the recovery of the sport sector

Conference

Not (yet) delivered

2021 ES

Expert Group Expert

Group on

"Strengtheni

ng the

recovery and

the crisis

resilience of

the sport

sector during

and in the

aftermath of

the COVID-

19

pandemic"

2021 - 2023

Commission

18 OJ C 449, 13.12.2018, p. 1. 19 OJ C 214 I, 29.6.2020, p. 1.

Page 9 of 14

Priority area: Promotion of participation in sport and health-enhancing physical activity

Key topic Theme Goal Working format (Poss.)

Output/targ

et date

Leader(s)

Creation of

adequate

opportunities

for sport and

physical

activity for

all

generations

Strategic development

of sport and physical

activity at local level

- Best-practice exchange

- Knowledge-building

- Follow-up to the Council conclusions on the promotion of motor

skills, physical and sport activities for children (2015)20

Group of interested

Member States

23-

24/11/2022,

Cologne

DE

Developing the place

and impact of sport in

Children’s life

Conference

Done (see under

‘Sport and

Education’)

07-

08/02/2022,

Paris

FR Presidency

Council and

preparatory bodies

Council Conclusions

on sport and physical

activity, a promising

lever to transform

behaviour for

sustainable

development

04/04/2022 FR Presidency

Promoting

Physical

Activity

- Monitoring of lifelong

physical activity

- Cross-sectoral

cooperation with

relevant institutions

(inter alia with

schools)

- Role of the media

- Awareness raising

- Knowledge building

- Best-practice exchange

Conference

Monitoring of

lifelong physical

activity’

24/09/2021,

Bled

SI Presidency

Council and

preparatory bodies

Council conclusions

on lifelong physical

activity

30/11/2021 SI Presidency

20 OJ C 417, 15.12.2015, p. 48.

Page 10 of 14

Annex II – Report on the Implementation of the Recommendation on promoting health-

enhancing physical activity across sectors21.

Context

The Council Recommendation on promoting health-enhancing physical activity across

sectors, adopted in November 2013, encourages the Member States to develop national

strategies and action plans to promote physical activity involving all relevant sectors,

including but not limited to sport and health. It also encourages them to cooperate closely

with each other and with the Commission by regularly exchanging information and best

practices. Finally, the Recommendation calls for cooperation between the Commission and

the World Health Organisation (WHO) to collect relevant data, country-specific overviews

and analysis.

The monitoring of progress is based on a framework of 23 indicators. This work is carried out

by WHO, a network of National health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) focal points

appointed by Member States and the Commission. The project was intended to run from mid-

2019 to mid-2022, but its planning was affected by the challenges posed by the COVID-19

pandemic. The project results were eventually delivered in the first semester of 2023.

HEPA network

The cooperation with the WHO, in particular its Regional Office for Europe, has proven its

continued relevance and mutual benefit. It successfully contributed to monitoring and

surveillance of HEPA in the Member States through the network of national HEPA focal

points.

The network of national focal points has grown into a reliable and useful network. Since

2019, the functioning of the network has been further fine-tuned, including to strengthen its

cross-sector cooperation at national level. All relevant stakeholders were engaged, thoroughly

collecting and exchanging policy-relevant information on HEPA within all Member States.

Moreover, the work resulted in quality and substantiated reports on the European situation

and allowed to keep the WHO European Health Information Gateway database updated.

Since 2019, the network of national HEPA focal points held eight meetings, which were

dedicated to enhancing the capabilities of the focal points to ensure a sustainable system of

data collection. In addition, the focal points examined and discussed innovative physical

activity developments and good practices.

WHO organised further occasions for the focal points to engage in international, regional, and

inter-country collaboration. Focal points could participate in HEPA Europe conferences,

which is a WHO-led forum for the advancement of health-enhancing physical activity

research, policy and practice for better health and well-being. Meetings were held with other

networks such as with the WHO’s high level group for nutrition and physical activity.

Dedicated workshops were carried out to discuss how to strengthen collaboration and

multisectoral initiatives to strengthen HEPA promotion.

WHO provided support for individual countries to develop evidence-based physical activity

guidelines, recommendations, and roadmaps for physical activity policies in different sectors.

21 OJ C 354, 4.12.2013, p. 1

Page 11 of 14

Data collection

The WHO enhanced the monitoring of physical activity among Member States and developed

novel tools for physical activity promotion. The data collated since 2015 of the EU HEPA

indicators by Member States through the national HEPA focal points is now available in the

WHO European Health Information Gateway database22. This database provides data on

surveillance and monitoring physical activity indicators at the country and regional level with

an interactive visualisation mechanism.

A key output of the project are the 2021 physical activity factsheets for the EU and its 27

Member States23. Building on lessons from the past, with an improved survey to Member

States, a third round of data was collated on prevalence of physical activity and policy actions

to promote HEPA among various sectors in 2021. It included questions on trends, progress,

and changes since 2015 across the EU and all 27 EU Member States.

In support of HEPA policies and actions, the report ‘Step up! Tackling the burden of

insufficient physical activity in Europe’24 calculated the socio-economic benefits of physical

activity. This report shows that increasing physical activity levels would have considerable

and positive effects on population health and the economy: Investing in physical activity

policies improves individual well-being and population health, while also returning EUR 1.7

in economic benefits for every EUR 1 invested. In Europe, it would increase the life

expectancy of people who are insufficiently active by 7.5 months, preventing more than

10 000 premature deaths per year, and saving Member States a total of EUR 8 billion per

year.

WHO has disseminated several other reports, including on technical tools to enhance physical

activity practices in the workplace focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

and support materials for sport clubs to promote health-enhancing physical activities. It has

also worked on audit tools for health promotion in sports clubs.

As regards the comparison of prevalence of physical activity across Member States, the

existence of sometimes contradictory data from different survey instruments remains an issue

to be addressed. The availability of reliable data is essential to drive policy making. In this

light, the Commission produced relevant data on sport and physical activity, through a new

Eurobarometer survey25.

Also, the Commission invested in improving the methodology of relevant statistics. Further to

the mapping of available sport statistics and data in the EU26, it is conducting a study

launched in 2022 to support to the development of harmonised sport statistics in the EU,

including statistics and data on health-enhancing physical activity. The study aims to enhance

the evidence-base and creation of comparative data for better EU-level policy making on sport

and physical activity.

22 https://gateway.euro.who.int/en/datasets/hepa 23 Physical Activity Fact Sheets 2021 published | Sport (europa.eu) 24 https://doi.org/10.1787/500a9601-en 25 https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2668 26 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/25c4dfc8-19bf-11ec-b4fe-01aa75ed71a1

Page 12 of 14

Results

The results of the 2021 round of data collection on HEPA indicators showed overall

stabilisation of implementation, the average proportions of the 23 indicators attained by

Member States evolved from 64.7% in 2015 to 74.5% in 2018 and again 75.7% in 2021.

Thereby, one has to bear in mind the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that prevented or

temporarily halted sport and physical activities.

Besides important increases in several indicators, such as indicators 15 (HEPA in the training

of physical education teachers), 20 (schemes to promote physical activity at the workplace)

and 21 (schemes for community interventions to promote physical activity in older adults),

several others decreased while others showed no progress as the achieved rates were already

maximal in 2018. Most national physical activity policies or action plans were multi-sectoral,

with good coverage of the sectors recognised as important for HEPA promotion.

Positive developments notably include indicators on: national recommendations for physical

activity (23 countries), the use of physical activity surveillance systems (26 countries), having

at least one national sports-for-all policy or action plan for promoting HEPA (all countries),

dedicated funding for HEPA promotion (23), the use of national coordination mechanisms

(19), actions addressing specific target groups (20), a specific framework to ensure access to

recreational sports or exercise facilities for socially disadvantaged groups (21), having

national guidance or a programme to promote counselling on physical activity or exercise

prescription by health professionals (18), physical education classes held in schools (all),

promote active travel to work (17), promote physical activity at the workplace (20), and

campaign for physical activity education and public awareness (23).

Two indicators stand out for their low rates of accomplishment – indicator 7 (sports clubs for

health programme) and indicator 18 (European guidelines for improving infrastructure for

leisure-time physical activity). Only six countries reported having used the guidelines for

sports club for health programmes developed by HEPA Europe and the Association for

International Sport for All. Another nine countries reported having used similar national

guidance or programmes designed to encourage sports clubs to promote health-related sport

activities and/or health promotion. Only five countries reported that they applied the 2011

Page 13 of 14

European guidelines for improving infrastructure for leisure-time physical activity in the local

arena (IMPALA)27 systematically.

In the context of an open, online survey in summer 2023 on the content and relevance of the

Recommendation, most respondents considered it still relevant, or partially relevant.

According to an additional survey among the national HEPA focal points, most focal points

consider that the Recommendation focuses on the right goals and priorities and consider the

structure and working methods as appropriate. There is also agreement that the work produces

relevant outputs and data. Indicator 4 (coordination mechanism on HEPA promotion),

indicator 10 (monitoring and surveillance of physical activity) and indicator 1

(recommendations on physical activity) were perceived as the most deserving indicators to be

considered with priority. Example suggestions included to evaluate indicators from the point

of view of data availability, to improve the monitoring mechanism in some Member States

and to increase the exchange of good practices for developing and implementing HEPA

policies in Member States.

Way forward

Since implementation of the Recommendation began, overall progress can be seen on HEPA

promotion and monitoring in the Member States, but continued support will be needed to

close the remaining gaps. These include indicators 7 and 18, which show more structural

weaknesses. More importantly, despite the very good progress made on the implementation of

the Recommendation, data collected on the physical activity of the population suggest that

levels remain too low, which calls for more measures to increase physical activity in general.

The Commission will thus continue to cooperate with the WHO to support the Member States

on health-enhancing physical activity with the overall aim of contributing to the achievement

of the WHO global target of 15% reduction of physical inactivity levels in the Member States

by 2030.

27 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349694555_European_Guidelines_on_Improving_Infrastructures_for_Leisure-

Time_Physical_Activity_in_the_Local_Arena_towards_social_equity_Intersectoral_collaboration_and_participation?_tp=eyJ

jb250ZXh0Ijp7InBhZ2UiOiJwdWJsaWNhdGlvbiIsInByZXZpb3VzUGFnZSI6bnVsbH19