presentation of Roland Farkas (European Commission, DG Education and Culture, Unit Sport) at the SETS conference in Martfü.

1. Sport
EU Sport Policy
Funding opportunities
Roland Farkas
Sport policy and programme
Directorate General for Education and Culture
European Commission
Martfű, 6 March 2015

2. Sport

3. Sport
3

4. Overall context
Europe 2020 Strategy: Smart, sustainable, inclusive growth
(Concentration on Europe 2020 objectives)
• White Paper on Sport in 2007 ('Identification of specific EU programmes and funds
to support actions in the field of sport')
• EU competence for sport (Art. 165 TFEU) after Lisbon treaty 2009
– explicit legal basis to promote sport at EU level
– established structures for sport in the Council
– continuation of informal cooperation
• Communication – Developing the European Dimension in Sport 2011 ('Exploit the
value of sport as a tool for local and regional development, urban regeneration,
rural development, employability, job creation and labour market integration')
• EP and Council Conclusions and Resolutions
• EU Work Plan for Sport for 2014-2017 (Council)
• Erasmus+: Sport

5. EU Work Plan for Sport (2014-2017)
Five Expert Groups
• Match-fixing
• Good governance
• Economic dimension
• Health-enhancing physical activity
• Human resource management in sport
1. Integrity of sport, in particular anti-doping, the fight against match-fixing, protection of minors, good
governance and gender equality;
2. The economic dimension of sport, in particular sustainable financing
of sport, the legacy of major sport events, economic benefits of sport
and innovation;
3. Sport and society, in particular HEPA, volunteering, employment in sport as well as education and
training in sport.

6. • Council conclusions of 18 November 2010 on the role of sport as a source of
and a driver for active social inclusion
http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2010:326:0005:0008:EN:PDF
• Council conclusions on the contribution of sport to the EU economy, and in
particular to addressing youth unemployment and social inclusion, November
2013
http://ec.europa.eu/sport/library/news-documents/council-conclusions_en.pdf
Social inclusion

7. HEPA
• EU Physical Activity Guidelines
http://ec.europa.eu/sport/library/policy_documents/eu-physical-activity-
guidelines-2008_en.pdf
• Council recommendation on promoting health-enhacing physical activity
across sectors of 26 November 2013
http://ec.europa.eu/sport/library/documents/hepa_en.pdf
• Eurobarometer (March 2014)
http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/sport-and-physical-activity-pbNC0414311/

8. Erasmus+: Sport
Focus on improving the conditions for grassroots sport in Europe
The first EU programme to support the
European dimension of sport

9. Looking to the past…
- No specific programme
- Preparatory actions (2009-2013)
- Special events

10. Preparatory Actions (2009-2013)
- Health and physical activity
- Gender equality
- Education and training
- Fight against doping
- Social inclusion
- Volunteering
- Fight against violence
and intolerance in sport
- Strengthening the organisation of
sport
- Fight against match-fixing
- Physical activity and active ageing
- Sport at municipal level
- Good governance
and dual careers
- Traditional European
sport and games
2009 2010
2011 2012
2013

11. Key ideas about Erasmus+
Financial support
secured for 7 years
Substantial budget
Programme serving
policies

12. Budget of Erasmus+: Sport
Total:
265,94M €
Gradual
growth in
annual
amounts
On average:
38M €/year
Focus on
grassroots
sport
Starting with
22.3M € in
2014

13. Objectives of E+ Sport
(Art. 16 of the E+ Regulation)
• a) to tackle transnational threats to sport such as doping, match fixing,
violence, racism and intolerance
• b) to support good governance in sport and dual careers of athletes
• c) to promote social inclusion, equal opportunities and health-enhancing
physical activity (HEPA) through increased participation in sport and
voluntary activities in sport

14. Selection method
General call for
proposals
Annual call
Evaluation
committee
(external
experts)
Principles of
independence
and
transparency

15. Two complementary actors
Commission / DG EAC
(policy coherence)
- Strengthening the evidence based for
sport policy making
- Dialogue with European stakeholders
Agency / EACEA
(implementation)
- Support for collaborative partnerships
- Support for Not-for-profit European
sport events

16. Key documents
• Work Programme 2015
• Programme Guide
• Call for proposals (deadlines, selections, award decision, start
of projects)

17. Eligibility Criteria
Collaborative Partnerships
2015 EWoS Partnerships as from 01.01.2016
22/01/2015 14/05/2015
Non-profit organisations and public bodies
At least 5 organisations with 5 different Programme Countries
Max 18 months Up to 36 months
Max grant: 500.000 EUR

18. Eligibility Criteria
Not-for-profit European Sport Events
2015 EWoS 2016 events
22/01/2015 14/05/2015
Non-profit organisations and public bodies
Participants from at least 3 Programme
Countries
At least 12 Programme Countries
Up to one year from preparation to follow-up
7 – 30 September 2015 2016
Max 250.000 € Max 500.000 €

19. Main reasons of ineligibility
• Composition of partnerships or participants in
the events
• Description of the project not sufficient
• Late submission of the e-Form

20. Application quality
A strong proposal is:
 Coherent (problems, solutions, target groups, activities, budget, ambitions, resources,
competences, etc.)
 Simple (objectives, approach)
 Evidence based (ex-ante needs analysis, state of art)
 Clear (identifying the need for such a proposal, the solutions and the outputs)
 Rigorous in its planning (which activities, when, for how long and with what resources)
 Explicit (do not take for granted any information, if it is not in the application, cannot be
taken into account)
 Focused (a proposal is not about solving the world's problems, but about solving a specific
issue)

21. • Preparatory Actions in the field of sport (2009 – 2013)
• MFF 2014-2020: new EU programme for education, training, youth and
sport (“Erasmus +”)
• European Investment and Structural Funds (e.g. ERDF, ESF)
• Other EU Programmes and Funds (e.g. Public Health Programme, Lifelong
Learning Programme, Europe for Citizens Programme, Youth in Action,
Life+, Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological
Development)
EU funding opportunities for sport

22. New EU Programmes 2014 - 2020
Health for Growth
Asylum and Migration Fund
Internal Security Fund
Rights and
Citizenship
Programme
EU programme for Employment and
Social Innovation (EaSI)

23. European Investment and
Structural Funds (ESIF)
• 2007-2013: sport projects as such not eligible for funding, however:
– sport related activities if they contribute to regional development or employment
– ERDF/EAFRD - Investments in health/sport tourism or leisure/sport infrastructure have been financed
– ESF – Sport projects that make a positive contribution to regional employment or investment in
human resources
• No complete overview, though many good practice examples in Member States
• Study on the contribution of sport to regional development through the Structural
Funds (call for tender to be launched soon)
• EOC EU Office brochure:
http://www.bsj.org/fileadmin/pdfs/Projekte/international/EOC_EU_Office_Funding_B
rochure_2014.pdf

24. Health Programme
Impala project intends to improve
infrastructure for leisure time
physical activity in the local arena.
The project is primarily dealing
with sports and recreational
facilities for leisure-time physical
activity (e.g. gyms, swimming-
pools, sports fields, recreation
areas, playgrounds, walking
paths).
European Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development
Langenlois/Centre for Nordic
Walking – establishment of a
centre for Nordic Walking in
the wine region of Langenlois,
Austria; promote health
tourism as a means to boost
the region’s economy.
ERDF/ European Territorial Cooperation
North Sea Cycle Route Programme -
Eight countries bordering the North Sea
(Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany,
Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Scotland
and England) have joined forces to
create an uninterrupted cycling path
along the coastline with a total length of
over 6.000 km.

25. European Regional Development Fund
Fläming Skate - trekking paradise south of
Berlin for skaters, cyclists, and even those
in wheelchairs who like to remain active;
includes different courses through a variety
of villages, fields, meadows and forests;
promote regional tourism.

26. Sport educational centre in
Extramadura Spain

27. Europe 2020 Strategy Cohesion Policy
EU priority Objective Headline target Flagship
initiatives
Common Provisions
Regulation
-
11 Thematic objectives
(exhaustive list)
Fund-specific
regulations
–
Investment
priorities
(exhaustive list)
Common Strategic
Framework
(not in Regulations
package)
–
Key actions
(indicative list)

28. Link between EU 2020 targets and thematic objectives
1. Research & innovation
2. Information and communication technologies (ICT)
3. Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
4. Shift towards a low-carbon economy
5. Climate change adaptation & risk prevention and management
6. Environmental protection & resource efficiency
7. Sustainable transport & removing bottlenecks in key network
infrastructures
8. Employment & supporting labour mobility
9. Social inclusion & combating poverty
10. Education, skills & lifelong learning
11. Institutional capacity building & efficient public administrations
R&D target
Climate
change/energy
target
Employment
target
Education target
Poverty target





29. Key actions defined
Tematic objective 7: Promoting sustainable transport and removing bottlenecks in
key network infrastructures
(ERDF/CF)
 Key actions:
– integrated, sustainable and accessible urban mobility concepts in cities, city-regions and
metropolitan areas, leading to reduced GHG emissions, in particular through sustainable urban
transport plans, including facilitating use of public transport, cycling and walking.
Tematic objective 8: Promoting employment and supporting labour mobility
IP: Active and healthy ageing
(ESF)
 Key actions:
– Prolonging healthier working lives through the development and implementation of measures to
promote healthy lifestyles and tackle health risk factors such as physical inactivity, smoking, harmful
patterns of alcohol consumption.

30. Tematic objective 9: Promoting social inclusion and combating poverty
(ERDF)
 Key actions:
– investment in health and social infrastructure to improve access to health and social services and
reduce health inequalities, with special attention to marginalised groups such as the Roma and those
at risk of poverty;
– support for the physical and economic regeneration of deprived urban and rural communities
including the Roma, which reduces the spatial concentration of poverty, including the promotion of
integrated plans where social housing is accompanied notably by interventions in education, health
including sport facilities for local residents and employment.

31. Tematic objective 9: Promoting social inclusion and combating poverty
IP: Enhancing access to affordable, sustainable and high-quality services, including health care and social services of general
interest
(ESF)
 Key actions:
– enhanced access to affordable, sustainable and high-quality healthcare with a view to reducing
health inequalities, supporting health prevention and promoting e-health, including through
targeted actions focused on particularly vulnerable groups.
(EAFRD)
 Key actions:
– fostering local development in rural areas by promoting community-led local development (LEADER
local development strategies) and through investments in all types of small-scale infrastructure in
rural areas and investments in setting up, improving or expanding local basic services for the rural
population, particularly in remote rural areas, together with other actions to improve the quality of
life in and attractiveness of rural settlements (‘village renewal’).

32. COMMON PROVISIONS REGULATION
ERDF, ESF, ETC, EGTC, CF, EAFRD, EMFF
THE PARTNERSHIP CONTRACT
ERDF, ESF, CF, EAFRD, EMFF
National or
regional level
Operational Programmes
for ERDF
Rural development
programmes
(EAFRD)
Operational Programmes
for ESF
Operational Programmes
for CF
EU level
National level
Multifund Operational
Programmes for
ERDF, ESF, CF
Operational
Programmes for
EMFF

33. Physical inactivity: The EU response
Policy action
• Council Rec. on
HEPA
Erasmus+
• Grassroots
sport / PA
…and more!
• European Week
of Sport (EWoS)

34. EWoS: Starting point
European
Parliament
European
Commission
Council of the
European Union
2012 "Fisas Report":
Request to establish an
annual European large
scale event to raise
awareness on sport and
physical activity.
In its 2012 Conclusions on
promoting HEPA, the Council
invited the Commission to
"consider establishing an
annual European Week of
Sport".
Based on broad
consultations, the
Commission developed the
concept.
Sport
stakeholders
Consultation and support

35. EWoS: objectives
Promote
participation
Get active
Inclusion:
everyone
& everywhere
From a
Week to a
YEAR

36. EWoS: concept
Add value to
existing
initiatives
Encourage and
facilitate new
initiatives
Offer
communication
tools
EWoS

37. EWoS: concept
EU level MS level
- Second week of September
- Flagship event: topical issue linked
to the policy agenda
- Focus Days (Education,
Workplaces, Outdoor and Clubs
and Fitness)
- Ambassador team: diversity
- Flexibility: September
- National, regional and local level
activities
- National coordinators: national
events
- National Ambassadors

38. Mon 7th Tue 8th Wed 9th Thu 10th Fri 11th Sat/Sun
Launch
event
(Focus
Day )
Education
Flagship
Event
(Focus
Day)
Workplaces
(Focus
Day)
Outdoor
(Focus
Day)
Sport and
fitness
clubs
EWoS: shape of the Week

39. Five major elements to guide activities and themes during the Week
These elements concern both the European and national levels.
Main Elements
Focus Days Flagship Event
Activities at
national level Ambassadors Partnerships
… and a fully-fledged Communication Campaign

40. Thank you
for your attention
Roland Farkas
+32 2 29 85090
roland.farkas@ec.europa.eu
http://ec.europa.eu/sport/
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/
http://ec.europa.eu/sport/week
For more information: