Viviane Reding, Commissioner for Education and Culture 

Interview:

In an interview with EurActiv, the outgoing European Education and Culture Commissioner Viviane Reding reflects on the virtues of the European Year of Education through Sport (EYES) and how the Commission can contribute to sports policy across the EU. The brainchild of MEP Doris Pack, EYES 2004 features a range of national and community-wide projects promoting the educational values of sport.

This year is the European Year of Education through Sport (EYES). Can you tell EurActiv more about what this is all about?

The European Year of Education through Sport is one element in the activities we offer young people. The idea came out of Brussels but the actions are being undertaken by civil society. It's wonderful to see how in all Member States, cities, villages, clubs, schools - even without receiving European money - have started to work for European Year of Education through Sport. So it's a real initiative which has captured the imagination of civil society. Which is proof that if, as a European politician, you have the right idea, then people take this idea forwards.

As far as EYES is concerned, is it a case of too many projects and too little money?

Look, in all our Member States and at EU level there is always too little money for young people, education, sports and culture while lots of money goes to the economy and other things. Everyone complains - the ministers and the Commission and the young people. But just look at how this youth programme and these youth projects are being run with very little money. They can be and are being carried out by young people with so much talent, ideas, energy and joy - well it's real value for money. So the cost benefit analysis is very positive.

One understanding of the 'European Model of Sport' is that it balances out amateur, grassroots sport with elite, professional sport and features more open competition than the 'US Model' which has no relegation or promotion, salary caps and a draft system [with the bottom teams taking first pick from the new young talent]. Is the EU swimming against the tide by trying to uphold a rather idealistic 'European Model of Sport', is it treading water between amateurism and professionalism or does it need to come up with a new and more pragmatic model?

I think you need both. I think you need the professionals to make young people feel the need to do sport. So the positive thing about professional sport is that it is a wonderful tool to get young people to move. But sport is not just about big money and stars. Sport is about social values, education - 'Move your body, stretch your mind', the slogan for the European Year of Education through Sport - is very significant in that sense. Sport is a question of public health. Statistics show that our young people are overweight because they're only moving their fingers to operate computer games. So it's high time to get them to run behind a ball.

And it's about citizenship. I was very impressed to see how many projects have been launched in villages for instance. It was impressive to see how, through the concept of EYES, they try to make a positive contribution to poor neighbourhoods where there's a lot of violence, to channel this violence into sport and into responsibility and friendship. So sport is a real tool for citizenship. This is something I wanted to convey this year. Sport is at different levels - you cannot say we need just the one and not the other. And one of the reasons why so many stars have been our patrons this year is to help us - Amélie Mauresmo, for instance, a tennis star who played in the French Open recently. I was sitting with her on the floor with hundreds of young people asking questions about sport and how she manages. She was sitting there talking to the kids and lifting their spirits. In all our countries, the stars have taken the time to talk to the kids.

In the UK, the Premier Leagu e has done wonderful work in the social field where kids from poor areas who've never opened a book in their lives, were brought into stadium, handed books by football stars. And the football stars saw them again when they had read the books. So they actually read the books and brought their parents inside to read the books. So, through the instrument of sport we can really convey positive messages about citizenship and education.

Massively indebted football clubs, cheating (eg the 'professional foul') in sport, doping and hooliganism appear to be three of the worst vices afflicting modern sport. Can the Commission make a really big impact in these issues, and if so, how?

The Commission by itself no because Brussels isn't responsible for everything. Brussels is responsible for what is in the treaties. And it is not written in the treaties that we have to regulate the income of football clubs. We have regulated the international transfer rules because that was international and working rights. But what they pay those guys and the fully indebted clubs that use even more money than anyone else could imagine to buy extra players - that is the responsibility of the football federations.

We and the European Court of Justice said very clearly that sports governing bodies have autonomy. Autonomy is not just about right but also about responsibility. They have the responsibility to do it, they should do it and I know that they have started sending out the rules so that heavily indebted clubs can no longer participate in championships and cannot buy footballers. They're thinking about having a salary cap. It's their responsibility to cling to European and national rules but to have the rules of the game established by themselves. As an example of what we do, during Euro 2004 we'll have a team of young European volunteers to help and show the positive image of young people who are not going there to riot but to give a helping hand.

Given its problems communicating with its public, do you have any thoughts on how the EU could communicate good news via sport?

For instance our young volunteers during Euro 2004 will be projecting a positive image. But I cannot ask young sportsmen and women to take political responsibility. If they want to do so - and they showed during the EYES [European Year of Education through Sport] that they do by coming to help and giving positive messages to young people and saying that they want a clean sport and that they'd had enough of cheating and doping. So they can help us but I cannot force them to.