European Year of Education through Sport EYES 2004

PURPOSE : to establish the European Year of Education through Sport 2004. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Decision 291/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. CONTENT : this Decision provides that the year 2004 will be designated "European Year of education through Sport." The financial framework for the implementation of the Decision is EUR 11.5 million. The aims are as follows: - to make educational institutions and sports organisations aware of the need for cooperation in order to develop education through sport and its European dimension, given the very great interest that young people take in all kinds of sport; - to take advantage of the values conveyed through sport to develop knowledge and skills whereby young people in particular can develop their physical prowess and readiness for personal effort and also social abilities such as teamwork, solidarity, tolerance and fair play in a multicultural framework; - to promote awareness of the positive contribution that voluntary activities make to non-formal education, especially of young people; - to promote the educational value of pupil mobility and exchanges particularly in a multicultural environment through the organisation of sporting and cultural contacts as part of school activity; - to encourage the exchange of good practice concerning the role sport can play in education systems to promote the social inclusion of disadvantaged groups; - to create a better balance between intellectual and physical activity in school life by encouraging sport in school activities; - to consider the problems relating to the education of young sportsmen and sportswomen taking part in competitive sports. Support will be given for the following activities: - meetings, European educational competitions and events highlighting achievements and experiences on the theme of the European Year of Education through Sport; - voluntary actions at European level during Olympic and other sporting events in 2004; -information and promotional campaigns, including cooperation with the media to disseminate the educational values of sport; - events promoting the educational value of sport and providing examples of good practice; - financial support for transnational, national, regional or local initiatives to promote the objectives of the European Year of Education through Sport. A detailed description of these measures is set out in the Annex. Measures that are Community-wide in nature as described in Part A of the Annex may be subsidised up to a maximum of 80% of the total cost. Such actions may include meetings and events, and information and promotional campaigns. Action at national level, as described in Part B of the Annex, may be co-financed upto a maximum of 50% of the total cost. Such actions may include information campaigns, organisation of competitions and surveys and studies. There are provisions on the application and selection procedure, which is managed by the Commission, as well as on participation by certain third countries. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 19/02/03.�