Sarkozy meddling again

I really am looking forward to the New Year! Don’t get me wrong, its not that I don’t like Christmas, but the 1st January will bring about a welcome change in European politics.

It is on this day that the Czech Republic will take over the EU Presidency and Monsieur Sarkozy will no longer be in a position where he can so destructively influence the political agenda of the EU.

We have heard and seen far too much from Sarkozy; he seems to have been carried away by his own propaganda and obviously fancies himself not just as President of the French Republic but also of the EU.

And now we learn of his latest ill-though-out and detrimental policy; Sarkozy is advocating a supranational authority to regulate sport throughout Europe. The fact that it is now generally accepted by all parties across the political spectrum that there needs to be less regulation has apparently been lost on the French President. He is also ignoring the very key issue that without the Lisbon Treaty there is no authority under which the EU can act directly in relation to Sport because as yet it is not included in the other Treaties!

But as ever with Sarkozy and his grand plans he takes no notice of the finer details. There has been much speculation as to why the French President, and others on the European stage, feels the need for the EU to regulate sport. And it seems the principle conclusion must be that they are jealous of the success of football’s Barclays Premier League.

Although Sarkozy’s proposal is designed to encompass all sports it is widely acknowledged that the principle target is football. Since 2004 there have been increasingly loud rumblings about the amount of income generated by football clubs and their superstar players. Why this is of concern to European politicians is beyond me; it is clearly for a Member State to decide how best to keep their house in order. As long as the rules of the international organisations are abided by then really there should not be a problem.

Apparently our Government has vowed to resist these French plans; sadly I cannot place much faith in that pledge but I sincerely hope that for once we don’t acquiesce to more unnecessary and damaging EU regulation. Whatever the outcome heed should be taken - if these plans are stalled for the moment, and even with the very welcome end of the French Presidency on the 31st December, the proposals are certain to return. UK Sport deserves better than to be further strangled by the bureaucracy and intransigence of EU legislation.