Even 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.
To 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.
The 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.
In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV France, Arianna Criscione, goalkeeper and women's sponsorship manager at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), talks about her green commitments.
German 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.
SPECIAL 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.
SPECIAL 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.
SPECIAL 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.
SPECIAL 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.
SPECIAL 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 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.
Some 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.
An 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.
The 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.
The 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.
The 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.
The 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.
Sports 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.
The 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.
Making 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.
Sport 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.
Elite 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.
While 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.
The 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.
