During last spring a consultation was launched on the European Union sports competence. The results, published on July 28th show the need for EU to support social, educational and health functions of sport activities all related to volunteers work.
Many civil society organisations had been voicing their concerns about how national legislation within European Union have made the recruitment of sport volunteers , specially the younger ones, more and more difficult.
By nominating 2011 as the ‘European Year of Voluntary Activities‘, the EU “hopes to increase the recognition and popularity of volunteering across Europe, and encourage the exchange of best practice between member state”
According to the consultation one of the challenges for European Commision is the availability of sport and physical activity at all levels of education. Some skateholders point that other issues to deal with are “the lack of stable funding for grassroots sport and the predomination of commercial aspects of sport over its societal value”.
However, many aspects of sport-specific topics and issues to improve are not part of the EU’s mandate as defined in Article 165 of the Lisbon Treaty. As an example, European Union financing small local sports clubs can only be dealt with at national or regional level.
Meanwhile an experts’ report identifies health-enhancing physical activity as higher priority in EU sports programme.