ENGSO EU Advisory Committee webinar on sport and European Parliament elections
On the occasion of the upcoming EU Parliament elections, on 21 February the ENGSO EU Advisory Committee organized a webinar on sport and the European Parliament elections. The webinar aimed to achieve twofold objectives: to prioritize sport in the upcoming EU elections and to inspire national advocacy campaigns promoting a stronger EU sport policy and the election of MEP candidates with an interest in sport-related issues.
The webinar commenced with Sara Massini, Secretary General of ENGSO, presenting the recently released ENGSO position paper on the EU Work Plan for Sport. The position paper advocates for a shift to a broader EU strategy on sport and a physically active lifestyle.
The European Parliament was represented by MEP Tomasz Frankowski, who emphasized the achievements of the current Parliament mandate, including the report on sport policy. MEP Frankowski stressed the importance of re-establishing the sport intergroup within the Parliament and adding sport to the title of the relevant EU Commissioner.
Theo Neyenhuis, Public Affairs Advisor at NOC*NSF, presented a national-level campaign to maintain and strengthen the position of sport in political priorities. Successful campaigns included video clips featuring professional athletes and political leaders, resulting in widespread media coverage on social media, TV, and radio.
The final speaker, Arthur Garrido, represented ANESTAPS, the national French association of students and young people in the field of sports. Mr. Garrido presented key actions advocating for stronger sport in the European Union, including the publication of an ANESTAPS position paper and hosting a grand oral event at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
In conclusion, the webinar featured a lively exchange between the audience and speakers on topics such as support for sport within political left and right, objectives for the sport sector in the upcoming Parliament mandate, and more.