Georges Mischo, Luxembourg's Minister of Sport;
Credit: © SIP / Claude Piscitelli
As reported by Luxembourg's Ministry of Sport, Minister Georges Mischo participated in the sports component of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council, held in Brussels on Tuesday 14 May 2024 as part of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The ministry noted that the Council began with a structured dialogue lunch among sports ministers who, in the presence of European Commissioner Iliana Ivanova, discussed the theme of "The place of women in sport". Luxembourg's Minister of Sport emphasised that efforts still need to be made but also that the fight against gender inequality in the field of sport is one of the priorities of the Luxembourg government's coalition agreement.
During the orientation debate, ministers discussed the role of volunteers in sport. Minister Mischo recalled that sport in Luxembourg relies entirely on volunteers and also mentioned the revision of sports leave which was extended to volunteers in order to strengthen volunteer sports commitment.
The EU ministers adopted the revised version of the resolution on the EU's Work Plan for Sport covering the period from July 2024 to December 2027. They also approved conclusions on the contribution of self-organised sport to supporting healthy, active lifestyles among people in the EU.
Under miscellaneous items, Ukraine's Minister of Youth and Sports, Matviy Bidnyi, informed the Council of the consequences of Russia's war of aggression on the Ukrainian sports sector.
Luxembourg's sports ministry added that France and Germany then intervened to promote the European dimension of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024 and the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship in Germany.
Also under miscellaneous items, the Netherlands drew the attention of ministers to the responsibility of governments in the fight against doping and in the revision of the World Anti-Doping Code. Luxembourg showed its support and confirmed the importance of governments being involved in revising the code, added the ministry.
The final miscellaneous item, as reported by the ministry, was presented by Hungary who informed the Council of its presidency priorities for the second half of the year which will focus on the legacy of major sporting events, the promotion of HEPA physical activity and integrity in sport, particularly the fight against doping.
