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Speech by Maud de Boer-Buquicchio,
“The development of inter-institutional co-operation between the Council of Europe and the European Union in the field of sport” Dear Minister, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, The informal meeting of sport ministers here in Antwerp has addressed very relevant themes which are of interest of member states of the European Union but also for those who are not. It is my privilege to draw a direct line between the Ministerial meeting in Antwerp and the Council of Europe Informal Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport, which took place in September in Baku, and to present our resolutions on a theme which is high on the political and operational agenda of the Council of Europe: the strengthening of the co-operation between our two institutions, the Council of Europe and the European Union. The reasons for such co-operation are self evident: more synergy, less duplication and a Europe which, concerning sensitive issues such as doping, speaks with one voice. Our member states want to see a closer link between our two institutions and to bridge existing gaps between the twenty-seven member states of the European Union and the 47 of the Council of Europe: in Sport, as in other core areas of the Council of Europe, we see the wider European stage. Indeed, on most questions today, it makes no sense to work solely within national or institutional boundaries. And the intervention by WADA yesterday reminds us that even at the level of the wider Europe, we cannot afford to ignore the global context. The European Union has recognised the special co-operation with the Council of Europe on sports policies in the Lisbon Treaty. From the Council of Europe side, our member states in Baku transmitted a message outlining the background and perspective of the co-operation between the Council of Europe and the European Union on Sports and to develop, where appropriate, partnership agreements in the field of sport. How does this co-operation look in practice? First, at our Secretariats level, this co-operation already takes place. Regular co-ordination meetings enable us to define and focus more effectively our activities and the projects being carried out. I am confident that this good practice will continue on a regular basis. I particularly appreciate that these efforts are supported at highest level and I am very pleased to meet Commissioner Vassiliou next week. Co-ordination must also involve our governmental officials who are responsible for sport policy at the national level. For the European Union, I am thinking of the representatives of the presidential team, since the European Council is now the decision-making body in the field of sport. For the Council of Europe, I am thinking of the chairs of our two conventional committees, the CAHAMA, as well as the chairs and vice-chairs of the governing board of the EPAS. We must also take account of the major role played by the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in providing impetus and participating in the decision-making process in the field of sport policies. Their members have a genuine expectation of more opportunities to exchange and influence decisions. In addition to ad hoc co-ordination meetings, co-ordination involves using the opportunities offered by the numerous meetings on specific topics organised within the framework of our respective work. But, Minister, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I am sure that you share my view that meetings alone do not prove complementarity. Let me be more specific. The resolutions recently adopted by the Ministers for Sport in Baku provide some pointers and I would like to share three ideas: First, the important question of the integrity of sport and the fight against result-fixing. I suggest that we examine in partnership the means of guaranteeing concerted action between organisers of sport events and betting operators, in order to combat the manipulation of results, with due regard for the rules of the market. Second, the granting of visas for sports persons taking part in competitions. Our member states want to identify best practice and put forward proposals to the competent authorities; this work could be carried out together with the European Union, which alone has legal competence in this sphere. Third, the fight against doping and against violence in football stadia needs a strong coordination between the Council of Europe and the European Union. We can offer a solid platform provided by our two Conventions and their monitoring mechanisms, which have been up and running for 25 years. The recent stadium violence last week in Genoa demonstrates clearly the importance of a pan-European approach to this question. Minister, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Today, we are at a turning point for establishing a solid In the context of developing a possible future European Union sport programme, there has to be a clear and precise component relating to pan-European inter-institutional co-operation in Sport. Dear Minister Muyters, I would like to thank you for the impressive work you and your team did to prepare this Ministerial conference. After the yesterday’s evening part, the progressive dinner, I suggest that we call it a progressive informal meeting of European Union Sports ministers. Thank you very much for your generous hospitality. Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to end with a quotation with the famous Hungarian Conductor Eugène Ormandy would say: “I thank you for your co-operation…… and vice versa!” |
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