EU Sport Forum told access and protection are priorities

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The UIAA has taken part in the European Union Sport Forum held recently in Madrid, Spain.

During the open discussion, UIAA Vice President Jordi Colomer informed the meeting that mountaineering and climbing counted among the most popular sports activities in Europe. For this reason, Colomer said, mountain access and protection were priorities for the UIAA. He added that the UIAA wished to cooperate more closely with the European Commission, and gave the mountaineering federation’s support for a future project to train volunteers active in amateur sport.

The UIAA's Global Youth Summit unites sport, youth and training

“It is important for the UIAA to start relationships with the European Union Youth and Sport Commission and to ask for collaboration with UIAA members in EU states,” Colomer said.

The EU Sport Forum was co-organised by the Spanish Presidency. At the meeting, Pierre Mairesse, EU Director for Youth and Sport, presented a new policy framework for sport, and Pedro Velazquez, Deputy Head of Sport Unit, gave information about the implementation of the EU White Paper on Sport.

Two documents were put forward for discussion:

• Sport’s societal function
• The organization and financing of sport

The participating sport bodies defined the following priorities, which they would like to see the European Commission act upon:

• Training for Sport Volunteering
• Mobility for the Sport people
• Erasmus for Sport
• Increase European Championships
• Cooperation between Sport Federations

The projects can be carried out with EU financial support.

The second and final day of the forum saw a joint panel discussion with EU sport ministers and sport bodies on “The Lisbon Treaty and Sport - new EU Agenda”.