EU affairs in the spotlight
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Article summary
UEFA member associations gather in Brussels for a seminar on the European Union and football.
Article body
Thirty-five associations
Representatives of 35 UEFA member associations will travel to the EU's home city – 25 associations from EU member states and neighbouring countries that have close political ties with the Union. The seminar serves as a basic introduction to the EU and how it functions. Guest speakers include Pat Cox, president of the European Parliament from 2002-04, Pedro Velázquez, deputy head of the European Commission's Sports Unit, and several members of the European Parliament.
Ongoing dialogue
The two-day gathering will feature topics such as sport's position in new EU legislation, the EU's relation to football, broadcasting policies and UEFA's ongoing dialogue with the European political instances.
Brussels base
UEFA and the EU are in constant contact on a variety of issues. These include broadcasting rules, freedom of movement for labour, doping and the fight against racism. UEFA opened an office in Brussels last November after deciding that it needed a permanent base there, given the growing number of political issues that affect football with decisions being made at European level.
EU contacts
UEFA's Brussels office is headed by Jonathan Hill, who has lived and worked in the city since 1995, specialising in EU affairs. The office is an integral part of the UEFA Communications and Public Affairs division, which is based at the governing body's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Annual event
"UEFA's seminar on EU affairs has now become an annual event, and this shows how important the EU has become for European football," Hill told uefa.com. "Our seminar will provide our member associations with a clear explanation of how Brussels works and why it matters to their day-to-day activities."
Jubilee exhibition
UEFA has also staged an exhibition commemorating its Golden Jubilee at the European Parliament in Brussels over the past two weeks. Exhibits cover the entire 50-year period since UEFA was born in Basle, Switzerland in 1954. Next Monday, the exhibition opens at the Stade Roi Baudouin in Brussels where it will remain until Friday 8 October.
