Friday 20 May 2011

The noose tightens? (2) Sport

Courtesy of The Albion Alliance Presents we learn:
"The EU's first ever Work Plan for Sport was approved by sports ministers on 20 May. This is a new area of EU competence introduced by the Lisbon Treaty. Another issue addressed at the meeting was sport-related aspects of on-line betting, which was discussed - apart from the formal session - in a  "high-level structured dialogue " between EU and national public authorities and representatives from the sports movement. For the period 2011-2014, the main objective of the Work Plan is to strengthen cooperation in the field of sport between member states and the EU. The document identifies three priority themes for action: integrity, social values and the economic aspects of sport. Several working groups will be set up to address issues such as anti-doping, education and training in sport, and sport statistics. Under the new distribution of competences, EU-level action in the area of sport supports and coordinates the activities of member states, while decisions continue to be taken at national level."
The minute I see the phrases "social values of........" or "the economic aspects of........" I find my nerve endings begin to twitch because history shows that it leads to interference in whatever subject resulting in a cost to the member state.

This latest information to emanate from the EU may seem to be of little significance at the moment - but just wait, my friends, just wait.........

4 comments:

A K Haart said...

"The EU's first ever Work Plan for Sport"

Hmm - that has a distinct Nazi sound to my ear.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

AKH: Yup, me too!

Man with a Polish Wife said...

When Qatar won the World Cup I posted somewhere that they wouldn't really need all those temporary stadiums as there would only be eight teams competing by then: the seven 'regions' of the world + Qatar (all stars).

I was ridiculed by one friend for this.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

MwaPW: Its so annoying when you're right and no-one will admit it, isn't it? Know the feeling well!