POSTED: Tuesday January 27th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Meeting between Rogge and Figel ' on European Council Declaration

The meeting came as a follow-up on the action points specified in the recent European Council Declaration on Sport

Representatives of the Olympic Movement, led by the President of the
International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, today met with
Ján Figel’, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and
Youth, and his delegation at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne. The
meeting came as a follow-up on the action points specified in the
recent European Council Declaration on Sport, which was presented in
the Conclusions of the French Presidency of the European Union (EU) in
mid-December 2008. In the Declaration, the heads of state call on the
European Commission to strengthen its dialogue with the IOC, besides
underlining the values of sport and its specific characteristics above
its economic dimension. The promotion of the autonomy of the Olympic
and Sports Movement as well as the protection of the integrity and
fairness of the competitions has been high on the IOC’s agenda over
the years.

Topics of today’s discussions included:
- the specificity and autonomy of sport,
- the financing of sport and betting,
- the application of EU competition law and of free movement
principles in the field of sport,
- and the fight against doping.

During the meeting, Ján Figel’ confirmed his respect for the
autonomous and self-regulatory character of sports organisations. He
also recognised that sport is organised internationally and built on a
worldwide pyramid system, which was to be considered in the future
dialogue between the EU and the sports world. The Olympic Movement
representatives stressed the need to safeguard the existing mechanisms
of financial solidarity towards grassroots sport – a principle for
which the European Commissioner expressed his full support. Looking
into the future, Figel’ stated that his team is currently preparing
for the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, which still has to be
ratified and contains a reference to sport. He considered the Olympic
Movement’s input as crucial in that regard.

After the meeting, the IOC President said: “The EU benefits from sport
and its values. Organised sport is one of the biggest social movements
in society, and its social, educational and health-promoting role is
significant. At the same time sports organisations also need the
support of the EU to tackle challenges like doping, irregular betting,
racism and violence and to safeguard the specificity of sports
structures and sporting rules. It is vital that we work closer
together to tap the full potential of sport, and today’s meeting was
an important step.”

Commissioner Figel’ said: “I am pleased that the profile of sport has
increased in the minds of government policy makers and stakeholders.
Last November’s informal Sports Ministerial Meeting and EU Sport Forum
gave sports an additional strong boost, and it is important that we
maintain this momentum. There are important issues at stake. That is
why we in the Commission welcome the new approach of having a regular,
structured dialogue with the IOC. Today’s meeting is a tangible
outcome of the new approach. “

List of participants in the meeting:
European Commission
Ján Figel’, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and
Youth
Bernd Biervert, Member of the Cabinet of Ján Figel’
Pierre Mairesse, Director of Sport
Michal Krejza, Head of the Sport Unit

Olympic Movement
Jacques Rogge, IOC President
Mario Pescante, IOC Executive Board member and Chairman of the IOC
International Relations Commission
Patrick Hickey, IOC member and EOC President
Joseph S. Blatter, IOC member and FIFA President
Jérôme Champagne, FIFA Director of International Relations
Marco Villiger, FIFA Legal Director
Denis Oswald, IOC member and ASOIF President
René Fasel, IOC Executive Board member and AIOWF President
Patrick Baumann, IOC member and GAISF representative
Guy Drut, IOC member
Henri Sérandour, CNOSF President
Yves Vonlanthen, IIHF Administration and Legal Manager
Jean-Paul Clémençon, CNOSF Chief of Staff

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Keywords · IOC · EU · Jacques Rogge · Ján Figel\'

Name: Sandrine Tonge
Organization: IOC International Olympic Committee
Email:
Phone: +41 21 621 60 00
URL: http://www.olympic.org

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