Sports
UEFA director: ‘It is important for us to show leadership in greening football’
Est. 8minEven with its unique pan-European nature and reductions in fan travel due to the pandemic, Euro 2020 would have been the most environmentally conscious Euro tournament yet, says Michele Uva. And Euro 2024 in Germany will be “the most sustainable tournament ever,” he assures.
Sport Positive Summit founder works to ‘unleash potential of sport for climate action’
Est. 5minTo achieve UN climate targets, it is not enough for companies or associations to operate more sustainably. What is needed is a rethink among the general population. Claire Poole is convinced that sports can play an important role, which is why she organises the annual Sports Positive Summit. In this interview with EURACTIV Germany, she explains her vision.
Promoting sustainable tourism in the Alps requires a rethink, NGO director says
Est. 6minThe Alps' magnificent mountain landscapes appear idyllic, calm and untouched - as long as you look at them from a certain angle. From another you are confronted by cleared forests for ski slopes, well-trodden paths and destroyed nature for hikers and mountain bikers.
Everyone should respect the environment, says PSG keeper Criscione
Est. 6minIn an exclusive interview with EURACTIV France, Arianna Criscione, goalkeeper and women's sponsorship manager at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), talks about her green commitments.
Ewald Lienen: Football is ‘by definition political’
Est. 8minGerman football veteran Ewald Lienen is convinced that football is political and bears social responsibility. In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, he explains how he combines football with climate protection.
Navracsics: ‘Lack of physical activity can cost over €31bn per year’
Est. 8minSPECIAL REPORT / Lack of exercise can burden economies and health systems, with recent projections suggesting the costs for the European Union as a whole could amount to 31 billion euros per year, according to Tibor Navracsics.
Official: The games are an opportunity for Azerbaijan to be more engaged with Europe
Est. 6minSPECIAL REPORT / External relations are very important for Azerbaijan, and the European Games open another door to Europe, Sevinj Hasanova, Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry of Azerbaijan, told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Simon Clegg: The whole world will be watching the Baku Games
Est. 8minSPECIAL REPORT / The Baku 2015 European Games are a fantastic promotional opportunity for Azerbaijan, as they will be watched not only by the whole of Europe, but in many continents, including China, Simon Clegg, COO of the games, told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
SOCAR executive: The European Games promote a healthy lifestyle
Est. 5minSPECIAL REPORT / By being sponsors to the Baku 2015 European Games, SOCAR, the state oil company of Azerbaijan which employs 60,000 people, wants to promote sports and a healthy lifestyle in the country, Vitaly Baylarbayov, Deputy Vice President of SOCAR, told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Minister: After the Baku games, Azerbaijan will be an even more popular destination
Est. 10minSPECIAL REPORT / After events such as the Eurovision song contest in 2012, and the Baku 2015 European Games, which start on 12 June, people across the world will know that Azerbaijan is in Europe, Azad Rahimov, Minister of Youth and Sport of Azerbaijan told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Commissioner Vassiliou: Sport is a crucial means of encouraging social inclusion
Est. 6minCommissioner Vassiliou said the lack of exercise is a problem affecting all social groups that is why the Commission will have a dedicated budget for sports activities as part of the new Erasmus+ programme. The European Commission is also a partner in the special Olympics European summer games 2014 that are taking place in Belgium from 2-20 September.
Vassiliou: ‘Europeans should get out of their chairs more often’
Est. 4minSome 60% of Europeans seldom engage in sport or physical activity, says EU Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, who urges Europeans to get out of their chairs to help combat obesity.
Betting chief: EU gambling market ‘needs harmonised rules’
Est. 18minAn EU-wide public consultation on the future of Europe's fast-growing online gambling industry must produce "harmonised rules" to govern the market, Sigrid Ligné, secretary-general of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), told EURACTIV in an interview.
ESSA: Online gambling creates ‘whole new audience’ for sport
Est. 24minThe rapid growth of online gambling is creating "a whole new audience" for European sport, argues Khalid Ali, secretary-general of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), in an interview with EURACTIV, calling on policymakers to help create "a supportive climate" for betting companies.
Commissioner Vassiliou: ‘I’m shocked’ by size of football transfer fees
Est. 6minThe European Commission will look into ways to limit and possibly cap football players' transfer fees after the record amount paid for Spain international Fernando Torres by Chelsea (almost 60 million euros), EU Sports Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou told EURACTIV in an interview.
Thieule: Sports policy could lead to ‘European identity’
Est. 11minThe EU's sports policy is a good basis for constructing a ''common European identity'' and although it may be under-funded, what matters most is political will, Laurent Thieule, president of a leading EU sports think-tank, told EURACTIV in an interview.
UN expert: EU can boost sport for development
Est. 8minThe EU can greatly contribute to the success of a UN platform on sport for development thanks to its experience in carving out sport policy, Wilfried Lemke, special adviser to the UN secretary-general on sport for development and peace, told EURACTIV in an interview.
NGO: Balanced gender leadership in sport has ‘business benefits’
Est. 10minSports organisations should strive towards better gender balance among their top executives, as women can generate new business by generating increased 'consumer' understanding and different arguments, says Amanda Bennett, chair of the European Women and Sport group, in an interview with EURACTIV.
Irish MEP: ‘Sport can bring EU closer to citizens’
Est. 6minThe European Commission should use its upcoming sports competence to bring the EU closer to citizens by sports club twinning, cross-border exchange of minority sports and establishing an Erasmus programme for exchange of sportspeople, Irish MEP Seán Kelly told EURACTIV in an interview.
OSDD: Life-cycle assessment key to ‘sustainable sports’
Est. 10minMaking sport operations and activites environmentally friendly is possible, underlined the director of a French observatory for sport and sustainable development in an interview with EURACTIV.
Figel’: ‘Sport is not business as usual’
Est. 12minSport is not simply an economic sector like any other and has specific features that have to be recognised and dealt with at EU level, Jan Figel', the EU commissioner responsible for sport, told EURACTIV in an interview.
APELS: Media focus on elite sports ‘overshadows social role’
Est. 7minElite sports deflect media attention away from the educational and social roles of sport, argued Nathalie Rossel, co-founder of the French Agency for Education through Sport, in an interview with EURACTIV.
ECA: Football clubs need safer balance sheets
Est. 7minWhile football clubs have not been hit directly by the economic crisis, the time is right to take a closer look at clubs' balance sheets and oblige them to respect a safe ratio between income and cost, argued a representatiive of the European Clubs Association in an interview with EURACTIV.
Official: Olympic movement backs EU involvement in sport
Est. 11minThe EU's future competence on sport should enable more political discussions and avoid further European Court of Justice rulings that challenge the autonomy and specific nature of sports, said the head of the European Olympic Committee's (EOC) new EU office in an interview with EURACTIV.