On 25 January, the International Olympic Committee launched the Olympic and Sports Movement’s unified position on how the wording on sport in the European Union's new Lisbon Treaty should be put into practice.

The Lisbon Treaty came into effect on 1 December 2009 and, for the first time, provides a legal basis for sport in the EU - something for which the Olympic and Sports Movement has been fighting for the last 15 years. Articles 6 and 165 stress the significance of sport in Europe, recognize its specific nature, and define the promotion of sport as a community objective.

During the January meeting with the EU Presidency, with Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero, IOC member Joseph Blatter presented the position paper. Signatories include the IOC, the European Olympic Committees and the umbrella organisations of the International Sports Federations.

The position paper offers practical solutions, especially when it comes to defining the specific characteristics of sport. Sporting rules of technical nature, rules in the framework of international sports competitions as well as club competitions, rules preserving the integrity of sport and those related to dispute resolution mechanisms definitely deserve specific treatment. The paper, which also tackles issues like doping, gambling and betting, will be circulated to decision-makers in the European Commission, the European Parliament as well as to the EU Sports Ministers.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said: “It is important that sport speaks with a unified voice and offers practical solutions when sport is challenged in the EU context. This is exactly what we have done today. We hope that Articles 6 and 165 and how they are interpreted by the EU institutions will help to protect the specific characteristics and the autonomy of sport.”