TAFISA Vice President Europe visits two Members of the European Parliament

Policies to promote sport and physical activity, and funding for grassroots sport projects, are vital to the Sport for All movement. In Europe, the Erasmus+ Sport programme is indispensable for facilitating the exchange of knowledge and innovation between countries; an opportunity that TAFISA, together with its members, is keen to make the most of. On 7 and 8 September, Jacqueline Kronenburg, TAFISA's Vice-President for Europe, visited two Members of the European Parliament in Brussels, underlining the importance of making our voice heard regularly and engaging directly with the European Commission and Parliament.

With Raquel Garcia Hermida-van der Walle, a Dutch MEP born in Spain, the discussion focused more on gender equality in sport and the possibility of utilising regional funds for cross-border projects and sport. The latter is becoming more difficult. An important piece of advice for European sports administrators wishing to make use of these funds: link your ambitions for a sports project or sports facility to the priorities of competitiveness, sustainability, digitalisation, innovation or defence.

With Nina Carberry, an Irish MEP who had a background as a jockey before embarking on her political career, she discussed in particular the importance of maintaining funding for not-for-profit ‘sport for all' events in the European Commission's next multiannual financial framework. Events such as the European Sport for All Games in Limerick, as well as, for example, the European Transplant Games, are virtually impossible to organise without the support of the European Commission. Topics such as ‘intergenerational sport' and the future guidelines for sport and physical activity were also discussed.