Department for Culture Media and Sport
professional sport
DCMS works with the National Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs) to help increase participation in sport, we make sure that the interests of professional sport are well represented within Government and coordinate the response to topical sporting issues.
The Independent European Sport Review
The Independent European Sport Review, published in final version last October, was instigated during the UK Presidency of the European Council in 2005 but was put together by an Independent Review Team headed by Jose Luis Arnaut.
The Review came in response to growing concerns within the game about the problems associated with the commercialisation of Professional Football, and a desire at a political level to give practical effect to the 2000 Nice Declaration, examining how the special nature of sport can best be reflected in national and European policy-making.
It sets out a range of recommendations which fall variously to UEFA and national Football Associations or to Member States and EU institutions, to consider further and implement where appropriate. UEFA have already begun to take many of these forward and the European Commission's forthcoming White Paper on Sport will be the key vehicle for taking forward issues that fall to the political authorities.
The White Paper, which will consider both the relationship between EU rules and sporting issues and the organisation of sport within Europe as well as broader issues such as the social function and economic impact of sport, will be the next key milestone in taking the debate forward at the political level. It is due to be published this summer.
A full copy of the report can be found at http://www.independentfootballreview.com
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