EUROBAROMETER SURVEY ON EUROPEAN ATTITUDES TO SPORT - December 2003
Ø Nearly half (46%) the people of Europe say they practice a sport or take some form of exercise at least once a week. There are significant differences between northern and southern Europe, e.g. while nearly 70% of Finns and Swedes, 53% of Danes, 47% of Irish people and 43% of Dutch people say yes to this question, the same figures stand at 19% for Greece, 22% for Portugal, 31% for Italy and 32% for Spain;
Ø 47% of those interviewed say they do not practise their sport in a club, a fitness centre, a sports centre or at school or university.
Ø Eight out of ten Europeans say that sport essentially brings improvements to physical and psychological well-being; for 47% of them sport is an opportunity for enjoyment and to develop their physical prowess.
Ø Among the values sport develops, the persons asked rank team spirit first (61%), followed by discipline (47%), the sense of endeavour (43%) and friendship (42%).
Ø 81% of the respondents claim that sport encourages dialogue between cultures. 59% feel it is a way of countering all forms of discrimination, an opinion widespread mainly in Greece (90%), Spain (75%), Portugal (74%) and Italy (70%).
Ø Three quarters of Europeans say they are worried about doping, the most concerned being the Swedes (91%), the Finns (85%), the Belgians (83%), the Danes (82%) and the French (81%);
Ø A substantial majority (87%) of Europeans would like the European Union to be more closely involved in the fight against doping. This is a position supported in particular by Greece (92%), France and Sweden (91%), Italy (90%) and Luxembourg (88%);
Ø The important role of money in sport is also a source of misgivings for nearly six respondents out of ten, Germany being the country where this concern is highest (70% of the persons interviewed), followed by France (68%), Sweden and Finland (65%).
Ø Nearly 80% of Europeans would like to see closer co-operation between the education systems and sports organisations in their country;
Ø Three quarters of the people interviewed feel that more time should be devoted to sport at school, this percentage reaching even 95% in Greece where the forthcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games are to be held;
