On 23 December, the European Commission set out the areas it will follow up following an independent assessment of the European Year of Education through Sport (EYES) in 2004. In addition to increasing the knowledge at EU level of the place of sport and physical activity in education and raising awareness of the importance of physical activity in reversing obesity trends, it plans to help:
- raise awareness of the mutual benefits of closer co-operation for the worlds of education and sport
- step up the dialogue and co-operation with the sport movement on issues like: volunteering, participation in sport notably for women, the fight against racism and xenophobia, education and protection of young athletes, etc.
- make better use of the possibilities offered by EU programmes to support initiatives related to sport
- improve recognition of qualifications and facilitating mobility in sport-related professions
In terms of its legacy, the assessment says that the establishment of networks between educational institutions and sports organisations is certainly "the greatest achievement" of EYES. EYES made it possible to support a substantial number of projects between these bodies, with 45% of the partners in the beneficiary organisations not being regular partners beforehand and ongoing links beyond EYES planned for 95% of partnerships. It recommends that a European network of educational institutions, sporting organisations and public authorities be established.
However it says that better links with other Community policies such as combating obesity or the integration of persons with disabilities could perhaps have been established. In that sense it recommends conferences and working groups where the world of sport and the member states can debate sport's role in the social inclusion of disadvantaged groups.
Other recommendations arising from the official assessment of the year, produced by the consultancy EUREVAL-C3E, a European network of academic experts and the international market and opinion survey group TNS Sofres, are for the Commission to:
- provide information on European sport: e.g. a Eurobarometer every three years or establishment of a European observatory of education through sport
- promote discussion with the member states on strengthening the position of sport in school life
- 'endorse' institutions or organisations which develop good practices (e.g. 'sport-friendly schools' - editor's note - mirroring an initiave by the Luxembourg Presidency - see EurActiv 10 June 2005)
