EU Sport Rapporteur Ayxela to EuroFora: Count Gold Medals won by EU athlets in Olympics from 2012

*Brussels/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU Rapporteur on Sport, experienced Spanish MEP Santiago Fisas Ayxela, (ChristianDemocrat/EPP), former Minister on Sport and part of the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games organisers, replying to "EuroFora"s Questions at EU Parliament in Brussels, just after it adopted his draft with a 540 against 73, and 7 abstentions large Majority, agreed with our suggestion that the desired "development of European Identity through Sport" could and should be promoted also by counting, in parallel with the Medals won at National levels, also the Gold Medals awarded to EU Athlets in prestigious International Sport Events, possibly starting by those of London this year 2012.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
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"EuroFora" asked Ayxela 2 differend questions, the 1st being, naturally, on the topical tragedy in Egypt (See other "EuroFora"s NewStory, herewith).

Concerning our "2nd question", it touched upon the issue of European Identity", that Ayxelas had just "evoked" from the outset of his Press Conference, referring for concrete details to his Report :  

    - F.ex., "in practice, we know that, often, our American friends have often results in World Sport Events. But Europe has, sometimes, better results, if all (EU Member) Countries are counted together !"

    - "Obviously, we have some very good National Teams, including f.ex. Spain in Basket and other Sports, as well as other (EU) Countries. But, sometimes, the Potential of Europe is hidden, because we don't have a (practical/visible) way to show it"., "EuroFora" observed.

    => Therefore, "do you think that, in the Future, it would be a good idea, eventually, on an absolutely Voluntary basis of course, together with the National Teams, to have at least in some selected Sport Events, European Teams, in certain World Sport events, playing with American and other Continents ?"

    + "And/or, do you believe that it might be a better idea, (f.ex.) also for the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games in London, to count also the Results of EU Athlets, in addition of the results of the National team Athlets, so that we could know which Country contributes most, and where Europe is stronger, or where it' weaker and must work better, in order to have an overall view of all  levels"  at the same time, in parallel ?,  we asked EU Parliament's Sport Rapporteur.

    The last practical proposal (of double Medal accounts : Both National and EU-wide), had been initially made by the Head of the French Governing Party' UMP's MEPs, Jean-Pierre Audy, already back on 2010, and served as a basis in a first, sketchy presentation of what could become a "European Dream Team", according to the latest International Sport Events' results available then, which brought together the Best EU Athlets, taken among the Top winner Athlets of Member States, in an Article which had been already published by "EuroFora" as early as since 2010, just after the Barcelona (Spain) 2010 European Athletics Championship,  (See : http://www.eurofora.net/brief/brief/besteuropeanathletes.html  ).

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    - "Thank you very much for your questions.... On your "your 2nd Question (i.e. on "European Idenity", See supra), " I'm very much a firm pro-European. Therefore, I'm very much in favor for anything which can bring Europe closer together", experienced MEP Ayxelas started to reply to "EuroFora" from the outset.

    - But, "We (EU) don't really have European Teams. There is one, however, which plays the Cup, in Golf. Where Europe, of course, plays as EU, even if it's in the UK that this game has its origins.. but noone ever seems to object to the fact that there is a European Team in the UK", he smiled, (i.e. despite the notorious opposition of several UK MEPs which are usually critical against any EU "State"-kind identity affirmation, f.ex. by adding an EU Flag together with their National Flags ! Comp. Yesterday Night's "hot" exchanges between some MEPs)..

    + And "the Day that we'll play under a European Flag, and play as Europe, we might even beat even the USA ! This is an example where things can move forward", EU Rapporteur optimistically said that he believed.

     - "In an ideal Europe, -which, of course, we don't have- there should be a single EU Team for every Sport. But, clearly, this ain't gonna ever happen; and, Indeeed, (some) People don't want it to happen", Ayxelas realistically dismissed on this particular point, at least for the time being.
 

    => - "But, I do think that the idea of (Double : both National and European) Sports' Medals' calculations, as you say, (I.e. that ) we can have (it), of course, (by) Countries, but we can also have an overall Table (in order) to see how Europe leads, and how Europeans are doing in Sport events", is interesting, the experienced EU Sports Rapporteur concluded positively, as far as "EuroFora"s latest suggestion is concerned (See supra).

    * F.ex., "EuroFora" foud that  in Spain, 1992 Olympics, at Barcelone, (the first after Cold War's end), EU Athlets (joined together with EEE Countries as Norway, Switzerland, etc) won a TOTAL of 101 Golden Medals, in comparison to 45 for former USSR Countries (of the PanEuropean mainly area), 37 from the USA, and 15 from China, etc.

    +And  in the latest, 2008 Olympics in China, EU Countries got, united all together, 92 Golden Medals, added to 23 for Russia (a panEuropean mainly area), and compared to 51 for China, 36 for USA, 14 for Australia, etc.
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    Meanwhile, EU Parliament's Plenary had adopted, in addition, with a very lage Majority of Votes (See supra), a Resolution on Ayxelas Report which contains also a special Article, explicitly referring to "European identity through Sport" :

    In particular, it adds a series of other concrete moves going towards the same direction as "EuroFora"s proposals (See supra), such as, f.ex., "to expand the existing (EU) programmes that promote sport as an instrument of its Development policy (i.e. vis a vis 3rd, poor Countries) and to launch new initiatives in this field" ; - "to organise a ‘European Day of Sports’ every year which promotes the social and cultural role of amateur and professional sports and the benefits of sport in terms of public Health";  - "to support the designation of a ‘European Capital of sport’ every year, under the leadership of ACES (European Capitals of Sport Association), with financial support and the necessary controls;" – to support local, traditional, indigenous sports, which are part of the rich cultural and historic Diversity of the EU, symbolising the motto of ‘United in Diversity’, by raising awareness of these games through, inter alia, the promotion of a European Map and European Festivals;to set up a Mobility Programme and relevant measures for young amateur Athletes and coaches to enable them to learn new Training methods, establish best practice and develop European values through sport such as fair play, respect and social inclusion and to encourage intercultural Dalogue; "-  support Member States' work on Data collection (i.e. something which could serve also for the purposes of the idea evoked by "EuroFora" and agreed by EU Sport Rapporteur : See supra),  and research in order to exchange best practice" (etc).

    Last but not least, the adopted Report also "suggests", at this same Article, " that the European Flag should be flown at major international sports events held on the EU territory, and suggests to sports federations to consider the idea of having it displayed on the clothing of athletes from Member States, alongside the national flags", while also "underlying that it should be entirely voluntary and up to Member States and sports organisations to decide whether they will use the aforementioned (free) Option".