Education and training

Alongside the purely physical aspects, the social and educational values of sport play an essential role, such as helping youth to learn to be part of a team and to accept the principle of fair play. Through its values, sport helps develop knowledge, motivation, skills and readiness for personal effort. It can, thus, make a contribution to both formal and non-formal education. The European Union has recognised sport's role in this field and proclaimed 2004 as the European Year of Education through Sport.

The educational and health benefits of sport plead for the allocation of sufficient time for quality physical education at schools and for reinforced links between educational and sporting institutions, so that children and young people can have sufficient access to physical activity inside and outside school.

The growing demand for sports activities and the increasing mobility of sports professionals have led to new initiatives in the field of vocational education and training. Sports professionals can benefit, where relevant, from the possibilities offered by instruments such as the Directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications, the European Qualifications Framework(EQF) or the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET).

The Commission favours the "dual career" of young sportspeople, ensuring that they receive an education and/or professional training in addition to their sports training, so that they can prepare for a new career once they retire from professional sports. The results of an EU study on the training of young sportspeople are likely to be presented in the spring of 2008.

Sport and physical activity can be supported by various components of the EU’s Lifelong Learning programme.