(Rule 52)

A3-0313/94

Resolution on sport and doping

The European Parliament,

-having regard to its resolution of 9 October 1986 on drugs abuse,

-having regard to the work of the Council of Europe concerning doping and sport,

-having regard to the Council resolution of 3 December 1990 on 'A future EC common policy in the fight of doping and misuse of medicine in sport',

-having regard to the Commission communication to the Council of 14 November 1991 on 'Doping in Sports' (SEC(91)2030),

-having regard to the Code of Conduct on 'Doping in Sports' approved by the Council on 8 February 1992,

-having regard to the hearing on 'Sport and doping' held by the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media on Thursday, 25 November 1993,

-having regard to the motion for a resolution tabled by Mrs Muscardini on medical facilities in sport (B3-0879/92),

-having regard to Rule 148 of the Rules of Procedure

-having delegated the power of decision to the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media pursuant to Rule 52 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media (A3-0313/94)

A.whereas, for tens of millions of European Union citizens, sport forms a central point of reference in their daily lives and plays a very important role in the improvement of their physical and psychological health,

B.whereas sport and the values championed by sport are being jeopardized by a number of unwelcome phenomena, including doping,

C.whereas only a cross-border approach can be effective in combating doping in sport,

D.whereas the Treaty of Maastricht gives the European Union new powers in the area of public health,

E.whereas the main responsibility in the fight against doping in sport lies with individual sportsmen, sports clubs and federations,

F.whereas, however, the task of government is to support their activities and, should they fail to make the necessary efforts with regard to legislation, control, prevention, punishments and research, to take action itself,

G.whereas a more active policy on the part of the European Union is therefore necessary,

1.Calls on the Commission and Council to acknowledge expressly the European Union's responsibility in the fight against doping in sport both from an ethical standpoint and in the interests of public health;

2.Calls on the European Union to set up, under a multiannual programme, a network of European laboratories for doping research and to cofinance relevant research projects, complementing and strengthening earlier measures taken by the Council of Europe and the International Olympic Committee;

3.Calls on the Commission to set up, within the new European Monitoring Centre for Drugs, a separate doping department for doping in sport, which would act as a European databank for all information on legislation, regulations, research, testing methods and policy on prevention in the Member States and in the national and international sports federations;

4.Calls on the European Union to draw up measures to combat trafficking in doping substances, in particular by harmonizing legislation on the possession and use of stimulants in sport;

5.Calls on the national and international sports federations and the Member States to carry on forcefully their policy on preventing and combating doping in sport;

6.Calls on the national and international sports federations to make precise and comprehensive rules against doping further and, at the same time, to lay down clear procedures for controls, during both competitions and training, and punishments, safeguarding the rights of individual sportsmen and sportswomen in the process;

7.Calls on the Member States to adopt complementary legislation banning doping in sport and containing statutory punishments for individual sportsmen and sportswomen, clubs and national and international sports federations contravening that legislation;

8.Calls on the Member States to refuse to pay subsidies to, or withdraw subsidies from, clubs and federations which are obviously evading legislation and rules on doping in sport and failing to combat doping at sports events for which they are responsible;

9.Calls on the International Olympic Committee to expel national and international sports federations which fail to combat doping at sports events organized or supervised by them;

10.Calls on national and international sports federations to grant sportsmen full decision-sharing rights in decision-taking on the prevention and combating of doping in sport;

11.Calls on the Commission to draw up an information programme based on the February 1992 Code of Conduct in order to alert public opinion and, in particular, young people to the danger of doping in sport;

12.Calls for all involved with sportsmen and sportswomen (parents, helpers, coaches, schools, media, clubs, supporters, etc.) to provide active support in the fight against doping;

13.Calls specifically on individual sportsmen and sportswomen to condemn doping in sport and urges governments, national and international sports federations and the media to give them their active support in this;

14.Underscores the crucial role to be played by the medical profession, in complete independence, in policy on preventing and combating doping and therefore calls on both governments and national and international federations to involve the sports medicine profession actively in all sports-related activities;

15.Calls on the media to encourage fair play, to roundly condemn doping and to provide public opinion with all information on the adverse consequences of doping;

16.Points to the need for sportsmen facing serious psychological, medical or social problems as a result of doping to be given expert counselling and help;

17.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the Member States and the Council of Europe.