European Union News - Sports

The European Parliament approved a resolution that asks to the European Commission to combat corruption in sports by introducing common penalties for match-fixing. The resolution also urges the European Commission to identify third countries with a view to stepping up collaboration to combat organised crime linked to illegal betting and match-fixing.

The European Commission published a report that include recommendations such as to apply a limit on the number of players per club, a review of the issue of 'third-party ownership', where a player is effectively leased to a club by an agent, and an end to contractual practices which inflate transfer fees, such as where a club extends the protected period during which players cannot be transferred without its consent.

Europol and police teams from 13 European countries have uncovered an extensive criminal network which involves a total of 425 match officials, club officials, players, and serious criminals, from more than 15 countries, that are suspected of being involved in attempts to fix more than 380 professional football matches.

The 2012 Campaign "European Professional Football against Hunger", organised by the European Commission, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Association for European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) intends to raise awareness about the urgent need to assist the victims of hunger and to put them back on the path to self-sufficiency. In addition, the funds for the most deprived in the EU has increased by €500 million in 2012.

The European Parliament approved a resolution in which calls on the EU to identify and eliminate all obstacles likely to prevent girls and women from doing sports. The Parliament also asks that supporters who are known to be violent or to engage in discriminatory behaviour be banned from all European stadiums. Furthermore, the regulation also asks for regulation the profession of sports agent.

According to the conclusions set by the Council in its meeting by the end of November, match-fixing is besides doping one of the most significant threat to contemporary sport. It damages, not only the image of sport, but it also puts into question competitive sport and fair play. For that reason, the Council has invited the European Commission to study this problem and to promote actions in order to tackle its consequences.

The Culture and Education Committee approved a draft resolution in which suggests to initiate strict, even penal, measures, against doping, match-fixing and violence in sports stadia. The text on the European dimension of sport stresses the urgent need to protect the integrity of all sports matches, and says that doping, match-fixing, illegal betting, money laundering in connection with professional sport and violence in stadia should be made criminal offences.

The European Commission has awarded grants ranging from €125,000 to €200,000 to support initiatives aimed at tackling violence and intolerance in sport. In particular, twelve trans-national projects have received these grants as part of a package of 'preparatory actions' intended to pave the way for the launch of an EU sub-programme for sport.

According to a written declaration signed by 399 MEPs, corruption in sport is a serious problem that should be tackled at an EU level. The MEPs are calling for a large-scale study on corruption in European sport, focusing especially on links between organised crime and illegal betting, sport agents, referees, club officials, sportsmen.