Resolution on combating doping in sport

The European Parliament adopted a resolution, presented by the Committee on Culture and Education, on combating doping in sport.

Parliament emphasises that the use of chemical performance-enhancing substances is contrary to the values of sport as a social, cultural and educational activity. Whilst the use of drugs has been evident throughout the history of sport, doping is today taking a new and ever more dangerous turn through the use of substances like growth hormones, erythropoietin and through practices such as blood transfusions.

Concerned for the physical and psychological health of professional and amateur athletes, Parliament calls on the Commission to:

• take action to ensure that the European Union’s external borders are effectively controlled;
• fight trafficking in illegal substances;
• implement an effective and integrated policy in all related fields, notably public health, prevention, education and pharmaceutical research;
• support a sustained information campaign in order to establish an effective prevention policy;
• intensify collaboration within the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the Council of Europe and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a way which enables the European Union to act effectively with regard to the prevention and control of doping;
• involve all those concerned with sport in the decision-making process with regard to doping, in order to effectively address this problem and to promote a clean image of sports and physical exercise;
• encourage coordination between the Member States in order to develop common effective methods for controlling and certifying the use of chemical substances and compounds in gyms and sports centres frequented by young people in particular;
• propose, in the Seventh Framework Programme, further research into different methods of doping detection and control.