Sport - published on 23 April 2020
Source: European Commission Spokesperson’s Service
The Commission is supporting EU Member States as they deal with the substantial impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the sport sector. At a videoconference on 21 April 2020, EU Sport Ministers
shared information on their actions to help athletes, clubs, sport federations and organisations, support jobs in the sectorand promote physical activity in general under the current exceptional
circumstances. The Commission outlined its instruments and resources to provide assistance and invited Member States to use them for the sport sector. These include the Corona Crisis Investment
Initiative (CRII), Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) and the Temporary Framework for State Aid. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research,
Culture, Education and Youth, responsible for Sport, said: “Sport teaches us resilience and discipline, but also solidarity and how to act as a team. We will set up a platform to
facilitate exchange of good practices and experiences among Member States. In this time of crisis, we will continue to use our existing tools including Erasmus+ and the European Week of
Sport to help the sport sector but we will also need to come up with innovative solutions. I will do my utmost to ensure a coordinated European response.” Member States also
welcomed the Commission’s coordination efforts and expressed support for the Commission’s #BeActiveAtHome
