Motion for a resolution | Doc. 12336 | 07 July 2010

Good governance and sport ethics

Signatories: Mr François ROCHEBLOINE, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Denis BADRÉ, France, ALDE ; Mr Márton BRAUN, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Mr Alain COUSIN, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Jean-Charles GARDETTO, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Gábor HARANGOZÓ, Hungary, SOC ; Mr Davit HARUTYUNYAN, Armenia, EDG ; Mr Péter HOPPÁL, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Ferenc KALMÁR, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Ms Virág KAUFER, Hungary, SOC ; Mr Jean-Pierre KUCHEIDA, France, SOC ; Ms Sophie LAVAGNA, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Ms Christine MARIN, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Muriel MARLAND-MILITELLO, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Bernard MARQUET, Monaco, ALDE ; Ms Hermine NAGHDALYAN, Armenia, ALDE ; Mr Pasquale NESSA, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Giacinto RUSSO, Italy, ALDE ; Mr Armen RUSTAMYAN, Armenia, SOC ; Mr André SCHNEIDER, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Oreste TOFANI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Imre VEJKEY, Hungary, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The development of the economic dimension of sport, sustained by its internationalisation, is a fact. The massive scale of the financial stakes is expressed inter alia in the amounts devoted to purchasing television broadcasting rights, transfers and salaries of sportsmen, and advertising contracts.

The uncontrolled appearance of purely financial requirements is accentuating the risk of negative forces: corruption; rigging of results; use of doping substances; dangers related to the liberalisation of online sports betting.

More comprehensive regulation is necessary to protect the ethical, social and educational values of sport and avoid excessiveness and abuses. This regulation will be effective only if it is devised and established at least at the European level and in common agreement between the various stakeholders: public authorities, sports federations, economic players, clubs and athletes.

Owing to its geographic scope the Council of Europe is especially qualified to promote in-depth analysis of all the mechanisms at play in the field of sport and their interactions, basing itself on the guidelines adopted by its Committee of Ministers and the resolutions of the Conference of European Ministers responsible for Sport. It is essential that this analysis be made in close co-operation with the European Union.

Consequently, the Parliamentary Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and its member states to establish, in co-operation with the European Union, a work platform with the stakeholders of the sports world. This platform shall be tasked with:

• reflecting on the required improvements to reach a system securing good sports governance and compliance with sport ethics;
• promoting the elaboration of new rules (including as part of self-regulation and while complying with the independence of sports organisations) while taking into account European Union regulations.