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Executive Summary
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INTRODUCTION
The Sports Ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK, in
the context of the UK Presidency of the EU, decided to launch an Independent
Review to consider and provide tangible recommendations for the implementation
of the Nice Declaration of 2000.
For this purpose a great deal of detailed research and analysis
was undertaken by technical experts. Specialist groups were appointed to
examine legal, economic and political matters and a wide-ranging consultation
process was held with all interested parties.
The Independent Review is divided in two main parts, one dealing
with the specific nature of sport in European Union law generally, and the
other using football as a case study.
The first version of the Independent Review was completed and
presented to the UK Presidency of the Council of the European Union, to the
President of the European Commission, to the President of the European
Parliament and to the EU Sports Ministers by the end of May 2006. In June 2006
the European Commission decided to launch a White Paper process on Sport.
Following the publication of the first version of the Independent
Review, an enlarged and proficient debate took place in most EU countries, in
some of which public presentations with the respective governments and debates
in parliaments have been held. More than 1.3 million citizens have visited the
Independent Review website revealing the growing public interest in the
findings and recommendations of the Independent Review.
At the end of this discussion process, the final version of the
Independent Review has been adjusted to the results of the public discussion,
and has now been published. It can be downloaded from this website. The reports
contain the full text of the Terms of Reference for the review as well as the
full text of the Nice Declaration.
The objective of this Independent Review was to consider certain
concrete issues facing sport and to adopt a series of recommendations on how
the EU institutions, the EU member states and the European football authorities
could play their own part and thus implementing the Nice Declaration in order
to provide a comprehensive and robust legal framework for European sport in
general and football in particular.
Only a secure and clear legal environment both at European and
national level can assure the fundamental autonomy of sport governing bodies
and, at the same time, allow them to work together with European and national
authorities in building a healthy future for sport.
