Information

Information

European Integration EU and Sport

1950: French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed the formation of a common High Authority for the coal and steel industries of West Germany and France, leading to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951. The purpose of this international organisation was to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and to create the foundation for European democracy and the modern-day developments of the European Union. Signing the “Treaty of Paris” on 18 April 1951 France, West-Germany, Italy and the three Benelux states, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, established Europe's first supranational community.

 

1957: On 25 March 1957 the six ECSC-member countries set up the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). The main objective was to dismantle trade barriers and to develope a standardised system of laws ensuring the freedom of movement, people, goods, services and capital. 

 

1967: The Merger Treaty combined the ECSC, EEC and the Euratom with the aim to form the European Communities (EC).

 

1973: The United Kingdom, Denmark and Ireland joined the European Communities.

1974: Walrave and Koch case –
concerns nationality rules in sport set by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).  The rule was challenged by two Dutch pacemakers who wished to work
for non-Dutch teams at the World Championships. The ECJ underlined in its decision for the first time that the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of nationality applies as well to rules of sports federations and stressed that sports falls within the scoop of EC law as far as it constitutes an economic activity. This verdict provided the basis for the Bosman ruling in 1995.

1986: Spain and Portugal became members of the EC.

 

1986: Single European Act modified the Treaty of Rome and launched the “Single Marked Program” with the target to establish a common market by 31 December 1992

 

1991: Adoption of the Maastricht Treaty. In addition to the EC the  European Union is founded, with the conception of a political division into three pillars: The European Community (EC) pillar, the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) pillar, and the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) pillar.

1991: The European Commission organised the first European Sport Forum thanks to the initiative of the European Olympic Committees. On this occasion the National Olympic Committees, the umbrella organisations of sport, the competent Ministries and stakeholders from Brussels were represented.

1995: Sweden, Austria and Finland joined the EU.

1995: With the decision in the  Bosman-case the European Court of Justice rendered an important judgement on the freedom of movement for sports people and exerted simultaneously a profound effect on the transfer rules of football ligues within the EU. The verdict banned as well restrictions of foreign EU members within the national leagues and allowed professional football players in the European Union to move freely to another club at the end of their term of contract with their present team.

1997: The Treaty of Amsterdam meant a greater emphasis on citizenship and the rights of individuals, an attempt to achieve more democracy in the shape of increased powers for the European Parliament a Community area of freedom, security and justice, the beginnings of a common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and the reform of the institutions in the run-up to enlargement.

1997: With the Amsterdam Declaration annexed to the Amsterdam Treaty the EU recognised for the first time the non-economic aspects of sport. In the same year the European Commission established a “Sports Unit” – dealing exclusively with sport related matters on EU level.

2000: The Treaty of Nice reformed the institutional structure of the European Union to withstand eastward expansion.

2000: Adopting the Nice Declaration the Community took into account the social, educational and cultural function of sport.

2002: EURO – the single European currency entered into circulation. It is shared by 16 member states today. It has been so far one of the major successes of European integration since it is used by 329 million European citizens.

 

2004: Eastern European Expansion of the EU. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia entered the European Union.

2004: European Year of Education through Sport (EYES) was launched by the Commission to raise awareness of the potential benefits linked to education and sport.                         

2005: A European Constitutional Treaty is rejected by two referenda held in France and in the Netherlands.

2006: Meca-Medina case – Process before the ECJ concerned the compatibility of anti-doping rules of International Sport Federations with EU-competition rules. In its verdict the ECJ approved the anti-doping jurisdiction but held that the assessment whether a sporting rule is compatible with EU law can only be made on a case by case basis.

2007: Bulgaria and Romania accede to the EU.

2007: Adopting the White Paper on Sport the Commission provides for the first time a comprehensive vision of its future engagement in the field of sport. In the corresponding Action Plan “Pierre de Coubertin”, the Commission sets out a number of sport related measures.   

2007: Signature of the Treaty of Lisbon. Its objective is to enhance the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the Union and to improve the coherence of its action. The Treaty is subject to ratification in all European Countries. If ratified, it will enter into force as of January 2009.  

2008: In its Declaration on Sport – the European Council underlines that sport values are essential to European society and reaffirms the specific characteristics of sport.

2011: Launching the European Year of Volunteering, the European Commission intends to raise awareness of volunteer engagement in Europe and to enhance volunteer activities; i.a. in sport clubs and associations. 

2009: Within the Article 165 of the Lisbon Treaty sport is introduced as a new area of EU competence. It states: “The Union shall contribute to the promotion of sporting issues, while taking into account the specific nature of sport, its structure based on voluntary activity and its social and educational function.”