FESI, the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry, says it welcomes the adoption of a report made by a member of the European Parliament, Tomasz Frankowski, who has assessed the sport policy of the European Union. The former Polish footballer is proposing to strengthen the role of the European institutions in sport policy-making.
In particular, FESI is calling for increased investments in the development of sustainable and safe infrastructures to encourage physical activity for all. Noting that many girls drop out of sports activities in their teens, FESI is also asking the European Commission and the member states to develop common European standards to ensure that all coaches have the appropriate skills for training children and young people.
We believe that the EU may well take more action on the issue under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron, who is set to run it during the first half of 2022. The French president announced a few days ago a plan to set up or renovate 5,000 neighborhood sports centers in the next three years, supported by loans of €200 million. He made the speech just before participating in a football match to raise funds for a charity.
