Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 295: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on the implications Article 149 of the Lisbon Treaty will have with regard to the future direction and administration of sport here in view of the fact that it appears to set out the parameters for a European model of sport, and that sport will be one of the areas in which national states will not have a veto. [17208/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Lisbon Treaty, if ratified, sport will become one of the activities where the EU will have the right to carry out "actions to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of member states". As such, Sports policy will remain a national competence in the same way as Education and Culture policies are currently treated within the framework of the EU. The Treaty states that the Union can take action "to develop the European dimension in sport, by promoting fairness and openness in sporting competitions and cooperation between bodies responsible for sports". It can also take action to protect "the physical and moral integrity of sportsmen and sportswomen especially the youngest".

In practice, this means that Parliament and Council will have the legal competence to adopt so-called "incentive measures" in the area of sport, using the co-decision procedure, which would be subject to Qualified Majority Voting at Council. Similar measures adopted by the EU in the cultural and education field have been of significant benefit to Ireland (eg the ERASMUS Programme, the Culture 2007 and Media 2007 support programmes). It is clear however that any such measures will not involve any harmonisation of the laws and regulations of the member states. Indeed, any Recommendations adopted by Council would not be legally binding on member states.