The President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee, Vessela Letcheva, participated in a meeting at the European Commission in Brussels at the invitation of European Commissioner Glenn Micaleff. A few hours later, she also took part in an event hosted by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who is on her first visit to Belgium since her election to the post.
The presidents of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of the European Union member states, together with the members of the Executive Committee of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), held a discussion on the future of European sport with the European Commissioner for Youth, Culture and Sport at the European Commission building.
The second meeting of the day, chaired by Coventry, was attended by the presidents of the National Olympic Committees and representatives of International Federations, as well as sponsors and other participants in the Olympic movement.
“The first working meeting was part of the European Commission’s consultations on the topic “Strategic Vision for Sport in Europe: Strengthening the European Model of Sport.” I thanked Commissioner Micallef for bringing together representatives of the National Olympic Committees, the EOC and IOC leadership for the first time in one place. European sport is one of the pillars of the Olympic movement, and this was recognised by all participants,” commented Vessela Letcheva.
The presidents of the National Olympic Committees also emphasized the need for sustainable and adequate funding within the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework for sports organizations and sports clubs. In addition, they called for continued support through Erasmus+ Sport and greater integration of sport into other EU funding programs.
“During the discussion, we raised the issue of greater investment in sports infrastructure, which is important for most European countries. This will be a shift in focus for some of the programs that are currently mainly focused on human resource development,” added Letcheva.
At the 7th European Sports Evening, organized by the EOC office in the EU, at which Coventry was a special guest, the focus was also on the European contribution to the Olympic movement. The IOC President reported on the progress of the “Ready for the Future” consultations held in Lausanne, in which Lecheva participated as a member of the IOC Commission. The challenges associated with the upcoming Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine were also discussed.
“The European Union’s support for the Olympic movement is crucial, and the EOC, together with our Olympic committees, is proud to be a reliable and strategic partner of the European Commission,” said Spiros Kapralos.
Participants in the Brussels forum emphasized the importance of a unified system for managing sport in Europe, based on values and democracy, and founded on the responsible autonomy of sports governing bodies.
