Pyramid or Democracy? Alternative ways in European sports policies

09 August 2007

When in 2005 the draft of a European Constitution failed, sport was left without any article of its own and, thus, without a legal framework on the EU level. That is why the European Commission started a process to implement legal regulation of sports nevertheless. The first official document, the Independent European Sport Review 2006, however, followed problematic lines of interest and power. Focusing on the field of football, it assumed a ‘pyramid’ as ‘the European model’ and proposed a monopolistic structure for EU sports policies.

This has alarmed organisations of Sport for all, and International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA) has called independent researchers to reflect the situation. The present critique is based on the Danish experience – the recognition of popular sports and the multiplicity of sport organisation. The alternative is between a hierarchical structure and democratic pluralism in sports policies.

The following article is a contribution to the discussion about a European White Paper of sports, 2007. An earlier version was published on the internet by the International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA).

Please click to download Henning Eichberg's article, Pyramid or democracy in sports? Alternative ways in European sports policies

Add comment

Bookmark this Page

Twitter

Delicous

Facebook

Stumbleupon

Technorati

Digg

Buzz

Play the Game aims to strengthen the basic ethical values of sport and encourage democracy, transparency and freedom of expression in world sport. Play the Game is an independent institution funded by the Danish Ministry of Culture, the Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations (DGI) and the Danish Federation of Company Sports (DFIF). Our offices are located at the Danish School of Media and Journalism in Aarhus, Denmark. Unless otherwise specified, all content on this website remains the copyright of Play the Game. However, reposting of information found on this site is positively encouraged, provided credit for the article is clearly given to Play the Game and the article's author, as well as a link to playthegame.org is included with copied material. For extensive or professional use of material on playthegame.org, or if you are in doubt about copyright restrictions, please contact us at info@playthegame.org to confirm permissions. Opinions expressed on this site are the opnions of the authors themselves, not necessarily of Play the Game. Please see site disclaimer for more information

Play the Game | c/o Danish School of Media and Journalism, Olof Palmes Alle 11, DK-8200 Aarhus N, Denmark | info@playthegame.org | +45 70 27 55 77

Play the Game Home / Knowledge Bank

Pyramid or Democracy? Alternative ways in European sports policies

Add comment